Please message me and I can answer any questions you may have on real estate, local meetups or the local area.  

Quote from @Rory Darcy: Hi guys my name is rory, pretty new to this im an out of state investor residing in new york, looking to invest in wisconsin and illinois, currently looking to build my portfolio around multi family duplexes or single family residencies, would be great to connect with like minded investors or agents who can lend a hand.Rookie investors should not invest out of state.

Look up local investors on social media and follow them and comment and like their posts so they get used to seeing your name.

You're local to me.There's a couple ways to go at this ;If you're looking to save some money you can have your plumber install sub-meters after the individual meters.

If she's willing, which it sounds like she is, your mother-in=law can get the line of credit with her property in her name and then you can just use the line. 

I would recommend looking for local FB investor groups, most areas have them!

A few years later, I hired a local Wyoming attorney to create a living trust.

Once you have ran through about 3 months or so of this and penciled out 50-100 deals for fun, I would talk to a local agent and start the process of looking.

Most local banks and credit unions will have free accounts.You need two accounts: checking and savings. 

Focus on smaller single-family homes, condos with low HOA fees, or multi-family properties in these regions, and build a reliable local team of agents, property managers, and other professionals to ensure a smooth investing experience.