Quote from @Katharina Bormann: I address the importance of clear communication in my book.It's not enough to tell them what is wrong.

As a disqualified person, it's important to me that it be 100% clear that I am merely the manager of the LLC and not the owner.  

I am wondering if my first steps (past the education part) is to build a network of people who know, like, and trust me through posting content like newsletters, articles, podcasts, doing webinars, going to events (aka build my brand), or, should I first find a deal and then raise capital?

I would look up some articles on Google proving that this is how bed bugs travel, then make the tenant responsible for treatment.If this is a multi-family, then the bed bugs could travel from an adjacent unit.

Some general tips in that same vein are to make your content likable, relatable and shareable.One technical piece of advice I'll pass along is that audio quality is more important than fancy video quality. 

Why don't you do a LOT more research here on BP, via articles, books and podcasts, then apply what you've learned and then ask clarifying questions on the forums?

Also, check out this BP article: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/brrrr-loans-what-are-the-...

You'd be surprised how often a deal can happen using this strategy but it is also important to run the numbers and make sure your COC return, etc are in line with your expectations.Probably the lowest risk is partnering because a seasoned investor will verify the deal (hence their participation) and likely take care of the initial money required.

Not important to this post, but the well and septic on this lot were unaffected by the fire.  

Well, once I started the process of buying I was quickly introduced to the importance of title insurance.