Looking to buy a multifamily property in 2025

[Evan Coopersmith]

Happy new year, folks! 

I'm a guy approaching middle-age, living in Chicago. For several reasons (property taxes, politics), I would prefer to begin real estate investing somewhere other than locally. Currently, my interests are Indianapolis and Louisville (though I would welcome other suggestions). 

My goal, over the next five years, is to utilize real estate in lieu of my current hourly consulting income, by building a portfolio of rentals.  

My professional background is data science / analytics, which means analyzing cash flows will probably come more naturally than building relationships, which apparently, is how one finds deals worth making.

Are there meetups in these areas I should attend (digitally at first, presumably)?  Curious to have some conversations with similarly-minded folks.