They started with 2 properties and are now at 15+...I would suggest you staet with a great property manager and go from there.

Andrew gave some good suggestions.

Hi Steve,Welcome to BP.There are several Meetups for Real Estate investors in Albuquerque.I suggest you go to Meetup.com and search.

I’d suggest exploring a bridge loan that covers a portion of the purchase price along with 100% of the renovation costs.

I'd also suggest self-managing your first property to maximize cash flow and learn by doing for any future investments.

I appreciate the suggestion to check out Tim Delaney’s posts - I'll definitely do that.FYI - I’m also a regular listener and fan of your BiggerPockets Money podcast, so it’s great to connect with the community here.

By no means am I suggesting the funds should not be held correctly but there are other areas a landlord should focus their attention if they are concerned about tenant related liability. 

I then suggest setting up a bank account where there is auto pay.

But, I suggest you start off with www.RipOffReport.com to see if there is anything obvious to avoid. 

I will suggest you plan to House Hack a Duplex or Triplex or Fourplex every year for the next 4 to 5 years and you will thank me later.Goodluck man and keep us posted on your progress!