I start by telling them we have a lot of money tied up in the property, and we've been burned by folks that wanted us to believe the best of them.

Some people are able to save money and budget and others are not really good at it.

Pairing that with relationship-building will help you uncover off-market opportunities and find local experts who can guide you.For meetups, here are a few ideas:Indianapolis Real Estate Investors Association (Indy REIA): They have a mix of virtual and in-person events and are a good starting point for networking with other investors in the Indy market.Louisville Real Estate Investors Group (REIG): A similar organization for the Louisville market, with educational and networking opportunities.Check out BiggerPockets Meetups: Many cities have local meetups organized by investors active on BiggerPockets, and they often include virtual options.Facebook Groups: Look for local investing groups like "Indianapolis Real Estate Investors" or "Louisville REI."

They are worth the money for a good hot tub that is mentioned all the time in reviews and doesn't have a ton of issues.

We're spending so much money...this better work feeling."

Will this be a good investment time and money wise?

I would focus on saving enough money that if I had a deal go bad, then that money I saved was there to cover it. 

I'm sure he could give you some pointers on setting up a business and creative ways to save money.

Going direct instead of having a GC do the work will save you money too since that GC will put a percentage on top of work. 

My tenants just notified me that their unit got broken into and money was stolen.