Starting from my backyard I'm looking to connect with some vets in the industry and familiar to the area/market.

@Emily ShinHouse hacking a multi-family property is an excellent way to start investing in real estate, especially in a market like Columbus, Ohio, which offers affordability and growth potential.

There are a number of real estate Meet ups monthly in Calgary market advertised on Eventbrite.

VERY unlikely unless you either source an off-market property yourself or you find a unicorn deal (our last semi-BRRRR was a B-neighborhood property we sourced from an out of town wholesaler in late 2023, but couldn't get all our capital back out on refi).  

I'm thinking apartments.com for marketing, leasing and maintenance requests.

As an investor, Columbus OH is a great market for LTRs.

Quote from @Daniel Tanasa: Hello Terry, If you're looking to find houses that are in pre-foreclousure you can use a website like www.foreclosure.com and you can get the list of properties and start marketing to them. 

Best of luck on your journey, the DMV in my opinion is still one of the strongest markets in the US to get started in.  

It took more than a decade but I am excited (and terrified) to re-enter the fray.After dipping my toes into the market, I have battled against my paralysis and taken the leap. 

Your realtor will be able to give you a much more detailed market specific answer but with house hacking and a VA loan it should be possible to get 0 out of pocket.