He prefers to travel or go fishing instead of helping me out.

Preferably, it would be greatly appreciated receiving authentic recommendations from satisfied @investor and @landlord rather than from Pro's.

Real estate investors need a CPA with nich knowledge and the ability to tailor advice to the client's specific situation.

My preference is to buy and hold, and receiving an income via rent, apparently.I think the first step would be just driving and getting to know the area better.Any other suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

Good tradesmen prefer and get good work so finding ways to make your project alluring isn't a bad thing. 

I prefer porcelain tile because it can take a lot of abuse.  

I prefer the CAR contract but the contract is multiple pages and can scare off the seller.  

If you can sell cars and I was your boss I would prefer to have you some of the time if not all of the time.

After you gather your list, try to niche it down to 15+ years of ownership, then you can bank on it having equity. 

I also know other investors who hold properties in the USA - they have no choice but to hire PM's (Property Managers).Depends on how you want to run your business, some like hands on, some (like us) prefer hands off!