In my opinion and experience the training is not necessary.A good web presence that has a very professional look helps too.  

First, don't leave valuables unattended in the presence of strangers.

Defense industry with Sikorsky, GE, and the naval and coast guard presence. 

He has a presence in that market and is a super nice guyGino

A normal market is 6.0, so we are definitely in seller's market territory here.

Hi , I have been investing in New York in past 15 years, just expanding my territory to NJ and CT.

You can't charge extra security deposit either, so it's even more important to do regular inspections of the property to keep on top of any damages that result from the animal's presence. 

I'll also need a JOB or might be able to serve another investor until I get a better feel for the territory and local trends.

Sorry for such a broad question but this is completely new territory for me.Thanks in advance!

Using a social security number (or Social Insurance Number here in Canada) just facilitates finding the correct credit history when the query is run ... its presence does not imply a hard enquiry.