Go to BUILD YOUR TEAM at the top of the screen and look for local investors or meetups in your area.

A few things I’d suggest as a local investor:Know Your Markets: New England is a mix of urban, suburban, and rural areas with very different dynamics.

Focus on rebuilding your credit, saving for a down payment, and learning the local market.

Both have great groups of folks who invest locally.  

It’s great that you’re looking to connect with local investors—it’s always helpful to learn from others’ experiences as you get started.As someone new to investing, one thing to consider is not limiting yourself to your immediate area.

.)- Crime stats... if you know specific zip codes/submarkets that you'd like to target, the best data will come from local precincts. - and more..I'd recommend remaining active not only here on BiggerPockets, but in other valuable RE investment networks that you can find - i.e. local meetups (meetup.com, eventbrite, BP local events). 

If that is all ok then get a very good local realtor to run comps in that area to determine the conservative value of the home once you've completed the renovation work(ARV).

I’m a local agent and investor here in Rochester. 

I love the town, but I guess that my point is that it has substantial challenges as a full time local.

You have come to the right place to begin your investing journey.Have you looked into attending local meetings and joining Facebook groups?