From that meeting I've built good friendships with several people and we help each other regularly with mindset and holding each other accountable to our goals.

I see all of these options as highly likely to ultimately end your friendship. 

I always love learning from others and have been blessed with guidance and friendship from a couple of local investors but would love to meet up for coffee (my treat) with anyone who wants to talk real estate and what they are seeing in CHattanooga with me. 

I am looking to make some contacts and business friendships that will help us all gain gain and gain in this market. 

thanks DAvid crabs in a bucket- they dont want you to escape.. and those who carry storm clouds.. boy dont I KNOW about them. so i can understand having to form new friendships and connection with like minded.

So If you know of anyone willing to work with me, develop a friendship and camaraderie then please drop me a line.    

To start, look to build a little guanxi (sounds kinda like Gwan Shee) which is among other things, social relationship, social responsibility, serious friendship. 

So, I either have spent a small amount of time where I invest OR I network partnerships/friendships with people in the area.

Just like airbnb where there's a trust factor, these workaway sites work in a similar fashion, but I'd make sure people have travelers insurance before arriving.Again, it's about the experience for both sites, and there were many hours spent playing board games, hiking, and ensuring it wasn't just a labor transaction, but a friendship that'll last too. 

Friends take advantage of things in a way that can ruin friendships if you're living together and strangers don't.