I know that real estate often takes a lot of capital to get started, and that's something I don't have at this stage.

Self-Employment Opportunities: Would it make sense to start a side business related to my rental properties (such as property management) to access more deductions?

Start with BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginners Guide (free).

If you’re just getting started in real estate, feel free to reach out – I’ve been coaching new investors for a while and am happy to help you however I can.

I'm not very intimate with the markets to the north and south, but I would start looking at price to rent ratios and decide what type of rental type and terms you want to invest in.

Here's a good breakdown of your options for tax collecting starting Feb 1 based on the new regulations.

its unfortunately not going to be as easy as googling, but that might get you a list to start with and refine.  

If you do have enough other income then you dont even need to lease out this property to start your refinance.However if you dont have enough income to qualify with no rental income offset then yes you will need to obtain your lease(s) and security deposit + 1st months rents deposited before you can utilize 75% of this gross income - your monthly PITIA payment (in terms of qualification on this property refinance.So all in all Id make sure what your current debt to income position is first of all (DTI) and then strategize to see if you even need the leases at all.

I'm impressed by your website by the way.

Start by networking through local meetups, REIA groups, and online communities like BiggerPockets to connect with experienced investors.