I lucked into my first remote job. I got to work remotely 80% of the time. I hadn't really considered remote work a real possibility until that point. It worked out pretty well, and every position I've held since then has been 100% remote. Almost eight years now.
I think once you have some remote experience then it's much easier to find other remote positions since you've proven you can do it. It also helps a lot to know people who do remote work and especially managers who have remote/distributed teams. Networking, for better or worse, is extremely important.
Also I think it's important to consider that while it may be easier to find work locally, you're actually quite limited in the breadth of work available. There are super interesting things I absolutely would not have had the opportunity to work on if I hadn't been actively looking for remote opportunities.
I would say keep applying for remote opportunities that interest you. If you show genuine interest and ability to perform then I think you'll find you'll eventually land a position.
Don't be afraid to email decision makers directly. If you're respectful and lay out your value proposition they'll definitely pay attention. At worst they'll ignore you.