Maybe start with email (seeing it quick and cheap) and then move to mail and continue alternating throughout your life cycle of marketing Good luck!

Wholesalers, unless that is your choice.  

I find remote rehab and managing tenants to be no problem.You have a choice:  10% cap or lower and 1 maybe 2 deals a year or higher cap and higher deal flow.  

So...landscaping w plats that detract from the exterior may be a less expensive alternative...but without pics, its hard to say.

If strategy is BRRR or rental income, conventional will be a better alternative (low rates) Now flips is a whole different story.

@Amber A.Easiest thing would be to go on Craigslist or any of the various property sites and looking for apartments for rent in your area.Rentometer.com is also a good choice.

And I know I shouldn't make a choice of what to buy according to where I would live.But I wanted to ask is how long do you think it takes to find renters for the 4 units (all 2 bedroom, 1 bath) and.

Splitting the profits is considered participation in the business, even though the role may be passive (as it has to be with an IRA).An alternative would be for your IRA to lend money to the flipper.  

He is currently making the choice to not dive into it with you.

If you agree with this, then you can't make a bad choice as to which market (but you can still make bad choices as to which property, what financial terms, which strategy, etc.) and the best thing to do would be to move where you want to live and learn to invest there as a local.