I'll bet they are worth more than you think.On the HELOC; if you have a lot of equity in your primary residence, it's a great way to get temporary funds.

I bet I could get the property for around 85k which would put it well above the 1% rule, but Im wondering for my first rental if it is better to have it fresh so I can find renters myself?

I'm not a betting man but if I was I would bet that your foray into self storage will be the catalyst to getting you out of your day job (if that's what you want). 

@Brad Jacobson I think that'd be your best bet then!

Best bet is making an offer and seeing what pops up in title.

I think your best bet is to first make connections with the people that you will need to have on your team.

Without knowing your whole financial picture, I bet you could eliminate of the $23k in 12-18 months.

I'd bet there is also a lot of deferred maintenance going on that would need to be remedied to get the units to market rent. 

The tried and tired is a safe bet until there is an economic shift, but the authentic and impactful rises above the rest in any stage of a cycle.

Best bet is to go to local and regional commercial banks as they will do thee types of deals.You could also ask for seller financing.