Additionally, my kid will be attending the school district I work in, which will be more challenging in two years when they enter high school.

You are more than welcome to attend our real estate meetup.

Stay updated about current developments and attend seminars to further your expertise.Good luck!

Listen to your elders and network and attend meet and greets, but don’t pay for special attention. 

They allow you to attend two meetings before joining as a paid member.

Regarding an attorney, it depends what you're looking to speak with them about - i.e. entity structure, partnerships, property acquisition, contract terms, etc.Anything related to a property or a deal can wait until the week of (sometimes the day before) contract review.For starters, I would recommend attending local investor meetups.

I’m considering buying a duplex and renting out one half while my girlfriend and I attend college.

Knowing the market usually involves going out there, understanding what people like, meeting with people, running or attending networking events, among other things. 

On average, I have attended double to triple the required minimum of one daily live office hour per week.

@Ben Van Gorp is there a meet up local to your area you can attend?