AZ was an easier since i used to live there and am more familiar with the cities, geographical layout etc, but i have never been to AL before i started investing there. i think once you read David Greene's book, if you agree with him, you'll realize that it doesn't really matter if you live there or not, it all comes down to having a great team working for you, and with the internet, you can really do a lot of the knowledge understanding before making a trip out there to figure out that's where you want to invest in.

By "everything" I mean water, electricity, internet, cable/satellite TV, renters insurance and burglar alarm service.

When it comes to non agent related activities such as picking up and placing signs, checking on vacant properties, etc.Would paying someone per trip to a home or per activity be worth it to free up your time to concentrate on revenue generating activities?

It is kind of apt to bring it up here as I use a "generic" avatar expressly to NOT post my image on the Internet. 

My car is paid in cash, my rent and utilities are included on my paystub as part of my pay so only my phone bill and internet get reported as far as I know.

If you have enough to get started maybe it is time to concentrate on long term buy and hold.  

Do you currently have electricity and internet access at your facility?

investor and have several rental properties here as well , got a tip from of my ex military  friend stationed in Lawton ,  this was about 9 months ago, looked on internet on homes available  and got a referral from my realtor for a local  Lawton real estate agent , of course did my homework  on businesses  / rental comps in area / crime /city plans for future / and rental population. 

Asking people on the internet is not going to help you in any way. 

I would love to hear strategies on finding off market deals in my local area while being thousands of miles away with very limited phone access (internet isn't an issue).