Obtaining competent management was an issue, I have no confidence in the service personal in the local area.  

All of Northeast has their issues with the LL/Tenant laws, but NJ is probably the more favorable. 

I have had to evict one guy for non payment of rent and evicting a woman on Tues for non payment of rent and disturbing the peace with her mental issues.

Account ClosedDoing a FSBO is a catch-22 issue, and your follow up question just proves it.When doing a FSBO, YOU are now the agent. 

I, too, am looking into the same neighborhood, but is concerned with the strict eviction and rental control laws

For the Baltimore property, take pictures of problems like trash and parking issues, and talk to the neighbor's landlord or report the issues to the city.

Has the most landlord friendly laws in the US.

Firstly, start with your states laws regarding Broker/Agent communication.

As a broker, I'm always trying to find the best deal for the specific client and property.If you are looking for local private money lenders, your local real estate investment groups might have some leads for you as well.Most institutional private lenders are going to need an appraisal/valuation of the property, and permits to be issued for the construction of the building (if your area requires it). 

https://www.24hourclose.com/Merrit Law, Smanra Chak, https://www.merrittlawnc.com/