I am looking to make a couple connections now during the moving process.

It really depends on what you are looking and I think your thought process is correct.

Do your homework first - then you'll be ready for a more meaningful conversation with a landlord.Best...Thanks for your response. so I have researched the rates and I understand that screening a tenant is crucial. mu biggest concerns are the carrying costs until a tenant is filled as I’ve heard the process can take up to 3 months to find a tenant.

Cashflow, ability to build a team, landlord tenant laws, price to rent ratio etc.......were all factors in the decision making process almost a decade ago.Now,  I wonder why your approach is an either or view? 

Quote from @Michael Challenger: I have no qualms with hard money lending, but I need to learn more about the process and structure to these for typical deals so that I am more comfortable and in a position to reduce my personal risk and risk to investors as much as possible.

You need to be extremely organized and create processes and systems.

I just got off the phone today with an investor-friendly real estate agent in another state (not NYS) who has a whole team behind her and has made it seem as if real estate investing is a much simpler process.

I just went throught the entire screening process and its more like $6,800. 

Additionally, I expect applicants to follow instructions in the advertisement and application, to make and keep appointments, to show up on time for appointments, dress and behave appropriately at appointments, and in general demonstrate throughout the process that they are someone that is easy and pleasant to do business with.

Here's an example process and timeline for New Jersey: https://www.doorloop.com/laws/new-jersey-eviction-process