First purchase (OOS) questions

[Ben Vidovich]

Hello BP community, 

I've thought about getting into real estate for a few years now, but I'm finally taking some measurable steps towards making it a reality! Since I can't afford CA prices, I have been looking at Dayton/Columbus/Cincy/Northern KY markets most for a SFH or multi-family property up to 150k. I'm currently networking and build out a 'core four' to make that first purchase. However, a few questions popped up that I thought I would bring here:

1) Assuming I successfully find a cash flowing deal, should the cash I make from that deal be put in a new bank account? (I plan to keep investing and am worried about intertwining the dollars with my personal account). 

2) Does anyone know a forum/method to network for oos contractors? I have been primarily seeking referrals from agents and going from there and recently heard about Houzz, but am curious if there are any other options. 

Thanks!
Ben