There are tools out there.  

I don't have airdna, but i did come across one that similar tool that showed these stats for free, and even showed some of the houses people were trying to sell exclusively on these platforms.

The find a lender tool is a great tool to find hard money and DSCR lenders!

Should I be prioritizing finding a local expert, or are there tools and strategies I can use to handle this process myself?

But, like others noted, courses can only be even remotely valuable if you actually know what you want to do.  

I have heard of Note School, Paperstac academy, Note Investors University, Note newbie, and Note Investor Tools, to name a few. 

This community is full of valuable advice and connections to help you hit the ground running.

it frees up your time for more valuable activities.

As a realtor you have all the tools to know if you should sell.

@Sushil IyerWith my experience, to analyze properties effectively, you can start with resources like MLS listings, Crexi/Loopnet, tax assessor websites, or paid tools like Costar and Reonomy.