A few beginner questions...

[Joseph Davis]

Hello BP friends,

So I have recently discovered BP and I am really excited about it. I do not currently have any investment properties. The only real estate I have purchased are the homes I have lived in. I have a couple newbie questions. 

I think I am mainly interested in buy & hold properties. I am currently trying to save up so I can have that 20-30% down payment, as I do not have much saved right now due to recently purchasing a home. I am not a realtor but I was curious if there were any other ways besides your typical sites like Zillow and Realtor.com to find property? I have also looked on Craigslist but am still finding the same homes. I do drive around some on my free time too but I didn't know if there were any creative ways online to be able to find deals? Would joining a real estate investor's association be a good idea? Are there any criteria for joining a REIA or can people like me who don't have investment properties also join? Thanks in advance