I love the town, but I guess that my point is that it has substantial challenges as a full time local.

Many municipalities allow appeals, and the savings can be substantial if successful.Pro Tip: Work with a tax advisor or attorney familiar with local property tax laws to improve your chances of winning an appeal.2.

Focus on rebuilding your credit, saving for a down payment, and learning the local market.

.)- Crime stats... if you know specific zip codes/submarkets that you'd like to target, the best data will come from local precincts. - and more..I'd recommend remaining active not only here on BiggerPockets, but in other valuable RE investment networks that you can find - i.e. local meetups (meetup.com, eventbrite, BP local events). 

You need to polish your skills, bigger pockets is a great place to start... find a local wholesaler you can work for/with and he will guide you. 

I am new to real estate investing and looking  to connect to any local imvestor.

My wife and I are real estate investors based in Katy, and I/we are looking to connect with local investors, real estate agents, property managers, and contractors in the area.

If you're more of a 'personal referral' person than a 'do research online' person, and this is local to you in Manhattan, KS, hit up one or two of the trades people in the "little apple all stars" BNI group.

You could start by reaching out to any local corporations that do assisted living in your area and see what they are looking for (location, space specs, etc). 

@Zach Denny  Similar to what Minna posted above, I have done with a local portfolio lender bank where they set their own lending rules.