I'm a new real estate investor looking to connect with experienced investors, real estate professionals, and other like-minded individuals in the Woodbridge, VA, Baltimore, MD, Hyattsville, MD, or College Park, MD areas.I'm eager to learn from those with more experience and build relationships within the local real estate community.

The beauty is that you can easily change your mind on this issue in the future.

Keep that in mind:)Regarding partnering, have tried it several times and most times it ends with a split.So, if you go forward with partnership, recommend making sure you both agree in writing, on how a split would work.Otherwise, you an both share everything you leanr and help each other out monetarily as needed.

If you are looking in 3 states and multiple markets in each state it's like drinking from a fire hose on trying to learn those markets.

Don't drink the S8 kool-aid.

A couple of things to keep in mind: you mentioned PadSplit.

Is it segregated (only my funds in the account)- do you have an attorney on staff that reviews exchange docs and keeps them current - what is the typical time for your staff to complete an exchange ( you want to get a feel for if they are understaffed and can they get the work done on your time frame)- how many exchanges do you do a month- what is your errors and omissions insurance through, can I get a copy- what is the amount of your fidelity bond - for each occurrence- what protections are in place to prevent wire fraud- will my funds be used by the company for outside investments (goes back to the type of account funds are held in)- who will be my contact during the exchange (goes to customer service, you want one contact who you can reach by telephone)Investors should keep in mind that it is their money they are placing with a QI to hold for a short period of time and be sure they feel comfortable with the company they choose to perform this role. 

Mind if I DM you the property to get your opinion?

From there you can cultivate the relationship by email / calling them to stay top of mind for future leads. 

For cash flow-focused investments, consider neighborhoods on the west or south sides, like Speedway or Southport, but be mindful of local market trends and tenant quality.