Are you local to the property?

Here’s the winning formula successful local house buyers and wholesalers use to connect with sellers, close deals, and create win-win solutions:Be Relentless: Show up every day with positivity and persistence.

Quote from @Victor Patel: I recently invested $60K with a local hard money lender who has been established in the area for decades.

This shows the importance of networking locally, building your connections and your "tribe". 

You can work with a local credit union that does HELOCs, Home Equity Lines of Credit or Loans, on investment property.

I really want to do local meetups and interact with more advanced investors but don’t know where to start.

You could start with your agent or a local agent who supports investors and could have contacts to refer to you.Lastly, you could consider negotiating with a local PM to take on a hybrid approach to management.  

I'm new to real estate investing and looking to connect with any local investor.

I would visit local meetups for real estate investing, and also network with agents in your area that work with a lot of investors.

Happy to connect and provide you with a list of the local meet ups. my cell and email are below!