On meetup look for the key words such as "apartments", "multifamily", "MFH", etc...

I saw your post because I have a keyword search set up for "self storage" as that is the area I focus on. 

There are some good agents down there who I'm sure will chime in some time soon now that the keywords have been hit.

Here are some recommendations for you:Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area: http://www.biggerpockets.com/meetSet up keyword alerts to be notified of the topics that interest you: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsRead Beginner’s Guide: http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investingCheck out BP Podcasts: http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/category/podcast

Verifying numbers is pretty straightforward- check tax assessor info for property taxes, get an insurance quote, contact a 3rd party property management company and see what they'd guess as being a realistic rent income, etc.

There are so many details behind the general explanation that just comes to you naturally as you research and get to understand it.You can start by using the search bar at the top of the BP website and type in a keyword like "BRRR" or "BRRRR" (sometimes they use 3 Rs, and sometimes 4 Rs).

I’m close enough to retirement age that I could make this my primary occupation within a few years and, with a little luck, invest on my own - but I like the idea of also investing other people’s money as a way to help grow their capital alongside my own.I’m fairly early on in my research but I am stuck on what seems a straight-forward tax problem.

They have been super easy to work with, everything is straightforward, no hidden fees (really no junk fees), and their processes, as they have described them to me, sound pretty simple.I'm in a rehab right now where I tried a local HML and haven't had a good experience.

Have a website about buying houses that has a lot of different blog posts over time using keywords that sellers use. 

If you want to learn more about a specific city, you can also set up key word alerts, so you will get a notification each time that word or phrase is posted.