I also don't see three layers of roof on the house, but I'm going by the photos and it could be there.

Once you have this team in place, you should be able to invest in any market confidently.As for picking a specific market - I would go after one with an increasing job and population growth.

Working in construction can give you a leg up here- you can probably eyeball  a fixer upper and get some numbers going mentally to calculate the scale of project you are taking on. 3.

If mom is going to live there too, it is simple they are both on the lease.

So I am kind of stuck with what financing options do I have that should help with this scenario.Any thoughts, connections or suggestions of what loan programs can be availed or how to go about it, would be appreciated.

Are you prepared for when things go sideways?

You're likely not going to find investors for that type of venture on BP. 

There are many pre-foreclosures going back a few years.

In general should I try to stay away from tenant occupied units or if it’s a good deal should I just go for it?  

You can't seem to justify the current asking price, so how are you going to convince another buyer that it's worth more based on zoning?