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."

We used $100k of private money and the rest was personal cash.

Personally, I don't mix men and women tenants but I know some people do.

Focus on the person (the seller), not the offer.

I personally know the person that owns the property and am close friends with him.

These are my personal takeaways:Real estate has been more passive for me.

This is not personal, but if a person cannot save money now real estate is the worst investment to get into as it is one of the most cost intensive businesses to be in.  

I know one person that did this recently and was able to negotiate no money down and 12% over 5 years but this was probably in the mid west.

I have personally owned investment property (both long-term and short-term rentals) along the lakeshore.

The second part is very personal and different for everyone.