Just look at North Dakota and the boom there from new industry..

I'm new to BiggerPockets as well, but I have been working in the investment industry for over two decades.When I entered the SFR space, I quickly realized that I didn't know enough.

As far as using sweat equity to add value, what's your background or some specific skills you'd be able to help people with in the real estate industry?

My parents have 40+ years in SFH rentals and have done quite well for themselves and have educated my sister and I quite a bit about the industry. 

I've putting my money into public markets and HYSA but once rates drop I need to re-think the HYSA.Other investors I know are doing STRs in California and OOS, partially because of the IRS loophole with STRs and being about to offset active income, some MTRs (renting out to people displaced for insurance reasons such as a fire, other reasons, not so much travel nurses like during COVID), buying an apartment complex together with 3 to 4 people, working in the real estate industry (acquisition, property management, lending, becoming an agent, etc).

Very true, you make your money when you buy and that formula is dependent upon your search abilities, how big of a net you cast to find opportunities, your negotiating skills, your ability to identify great locations (often near good schools), and your ability to transform the property.

For example, Pittsburg during its Steel industry boom era and Detroit from it's peak auto industry era, properties would have grown value YoY mostly.

The lawsuit is so large that it includes the brokerage and some accounting firm, and some some very big name in the industry.

I'd consider myself in line with an "Accredited investors" since I work in the regulatory finance industry, and have worked at a security regulatory authority empowered by the SEC.  

-Carrot sites are converting 33.3% higher than the industry standard for real estate.In short- if you have aspirations for generating organic leads in this space, Carrot is the way to goAlso I'd be more than happy to setup a zoom call to walk you through anything on the Carrot side and make recommendations on agencies if you were looking to outsource the paid ads.