My wife and I recently attended BPCON in Cancun and feel supercharged and are considering to begin scaling our portfolio.  

Attending local meetups/conferences/networking events is a GREAT way to share advice, insights, and make connections.

I am stating it to provide something to ponder and an explanation why it may appear people are ignoring the data.If owners of property impacted by climate events are heavily bailed out by FEMA and other sources, then what is the risk?

He responded with “Hello this is Felipe wholesaler in Orange County Nice to hear from you hope your event went well I have motivated cash buyers That love places in distress or properties that aren’t listed in the market”I’m wondering how legit this is if he is a wholesaler and truly has buyers he is working with.

I suggest checking out some of the local Chicago meetups:  https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521-real-estate-events-...I'd also recommend setting up some coffee meetings with some of the TOP TALENT in Chicago: agents like @Jake Fugman & @John Warren and property managers like @Mark Ainley & @Krystyna Schexnayder and lenders like @Jose Valdovinos & @Zack Karp.

@Andrew Freed has a great meetup in Worcester you should attend.

Have you looked into attending local meetings and joining Facebook groups?

Are there specific networking events or forums within the BiggerPockets community that you recommend?

You can meet local investors by registering to attend real estate events in your area: https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521-events-and-happenings6.

Here is some events posted on BP:  https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521-real-estate-events-...