Do brokerages frown upon part-time agents or would they welcome me with open arms and team me up with an experienced agent for a few deals to learn the ropes?

You might be better off paying more in fees to get a cash out refinance so you can fix your rate and term to match a long term investment approach.Buying in solid cash flow markets could be a good option if you can find the right team.  

I'm not speaking to you as an experienced investor but I do not think the bank does not even consider the status of the current leases. 

If you are experienced in that city and can point me to some good zip codes as well as investor friendly agents, please let me know.

We don’t want to buy without consulting with an experienced GC on the reno costs either.

25k a year is probably barely enough to live on as a single individual let alone invest or support a family.Your easiest way to invest is to earn more.To earn say 25k a year likely requires around 300k invested money assuming you’re not doing major rehabs and/or experiencing a lot of appreciation.

Commercial brokers will not return your calls.Partner up with someone more experienced and provide value to him/her. 

Lived in both those markets for 5+ years, have a team and do lots of deals there.

As I read through Alex Goldovsky's book Bulletproof Title Due Diligence (great book btw) and some of the potential title issues come to light, I'm wondering what jurisdictions you experienced investors have blacklisted and will not invest in.

Most likely we'll be flying out to Greensboro again for a few days so she can meet the team and we can scout properties.