As eric pointed out, someone who lives in Phila will have to be registered as a manager of the property to obtain a rental license - usually a PMPersonally if you're looking to target SFH I would recommend: Roxborough (for 3+ bedroom - there is a large saturation for 1-2 bed apartments in area), East falls, E and W Mount airy (need to be proficient in neighborhood to know where the good and not so good blocks are, and far NE philly.

Quote from @Jaren Taylor: Quote from @Stuart Udis: Depending on the transaction sizes you are pursuing, raising money to purchase property without debt requires either an incredible network of relationships or devoting a lot of time and effort to raising money.

We recently came upon a small property and are seriously thinking about purchasing our first rental!

If your mother does not want to carry the note long term, there are GSE renovation loans that can be used for both purchase, rehab, and permanent financing all in one loan.

What's a friendly foreclosure process?

None the less, its a very investable area and owner friendly state.

Step 1: Get preapproved for an FHA loan for the purchase price you are looking for.Step 2: Connect with builders until you find a few that will finance the construction of your home. 

I saw how that proposal is basically her giving me a 0% loan, but at the same time I believe that structure will avoid her taking a large loss (approximately 30k if she accepts a 300k offer).I do not know why she doesnt get a PM, I only share the facts of when she purchased it, the purchase price, and the reasoning she shared with my realtor as to why she is selling after such a short time period.

The area is fairly landlord friendly.  

More important than identifying target areas is establishing relationship with a local investor-friendly professional who has personal experience in investing in Cleveland.