@Kayla Elliott  Hi Kayla - this was a commercial mortgage loan with a local bank, that held it "in house" after it was issued. 

I'm attending local meetups too when my work schedule permits, but I want to do even more. 

Granted we only have 17 but still, I’ve never used anything except a simple excel spreadsheet and all my rental properties have a separate savings account under my main account at my local bank.

To find the best community bank, I would post in a local facebook group and ask which are the best local lenders to work with and ask for a specific contact.  

Would love to connect with local RE agents and have an idea of the market situation in SA.

Having local family gave me a built-in support system, market familiarity, and the confidence to manage a property from a distance if needed.

We always recommend starting local when possible.

All you need are local vendors you know...with texting and internet, and good tenants.  

I purchase the land from a local jeweler who I tracked down at his business and asked he was interested in selling.

There isn't much I can add here except for the local expertise of the Boise area and our sister company property management team get these inquires often from tenants - so we have seen many ways how not to inquire about it and a few good ways haha.