I understand all of the strategies, and have a pretty good understanding of real estate in general, however I am struggling with putting it all together and Formulating the plan to follow.

I know what Cap rate is, but I’m trying to get a feeling for how experienced investors formulate their goals in a property and what they get in return.

If so, how does the bank formulate that?

While things change - and one can't plan multi-decades, my plan is still formulating but part of the plan is around 30% of nest-egg invested in real estate, fairly passive real estate.  

I would get to know the general area first by taking a quick look on zillow and then formulate some questions for your relator or property manager.

I suggest that you go to Del Walmsley's site www.lifestylesunlimited.com and watch all of his youtube videos to formulate a Business Plan that fits you.

With this information, you can start to formulate what type of investment you are looking for (wholesale, flip, buy & hold, etc.) and what level of investment you want to make (no rehad, light, heavy, full gut rehad, etc.). 

Now we’re trying to formulate a plan going forward.

I'd also like someone who I could call throughout the year for a consultation and someone who can help me formulate a tax strategy before purchasing my next rental property.Thanks friends!

When I began formulating this plan, I set out to purchase a buy-and-hold.