I'd love to hear if anyone has become a licensed/certified home inspector to support their journey as a real estate investor.

Another option is to look into some funds as well that allow smaller investments. some are anywhere from 500-$10,000 minimums and accept non accredited investors (through regulation a+).If you ran numbers of a loan paying p&i at 10% but ot being able to reinvest the principal payments you realize how low your returns actually are. so yes notes are great but also understand that idle money for any investment is not fun.

An investor who is buying the duplex next to mine wants to trade a duplex he owns in a neighborhood nearby so he can have 2 duplexes next to each other (long story no need for those details). 

They then missed out on several more years of growth because they got out of the game and waited on the sidelines for things to look better. 2010 to 2012 was the period that cash investors were the players or those with IRA keep in mind investor loans were still basically non existent in those years for all those expect very well to do Investors beginners were not getting investor loans. 

Now, it took me many years and a lot of real estate trading to get to this place with my bank, but that is why I highly recommend that RE investors work hard and finding and nurturing a local banking relationship.

(Even went beyond the second page of Google.)I have an investor who wants to partner on a deal by providing a loan for the down payment.

If you can care a hell of a lot more about your investors returns than the competition you will be fine.  

Do many Topeka investors belong to MAREI?

I've helped a lot of investors in your area, and I find that many of them end up purchasing rentals in the Central Valley for the very reason you mentioned.  

Investor beware.