Pairing that with relationship-building will help you uncover off-market opportunities and find local experts who can guide you.For meetups, here are a few ideas:Indianapolis Real Estate Investors Association (Indy REIA): They have a mix of virtual and in-person events and are a good starting point for networking with other investors in the Indy market.Louisville Real Estate Investors Group (REIG): A similar organization for the Louisville market, with educational and networking opportunities.Check out BiggerPockets Meetups: Many cities have local meetups organized by investors active on BiggerPockets, and they often include virtual options.Facebook Groups: Look for local investing groups like "Indianapolis Real Estate Investors" or "Louisville REI."

You must have your personal finances in order before you invest.

This is the foundation of why LaPlante Real Estate is based in portfolio management and property management... my personal portfolio started in 2009 and I find the majority tends to be Section 8. 

Do you own a personal residence yet?

I personally learned I enjoy local investing in residential properties.

A realtor doing high volume, you don't have to use one you can poll 3-5 agents see what they do to get you the comps and then pick that person to help you.

This is my first personal mortgage so I'm trying to learn the game.

For example is a personal loan from a bank is 7.5 % that you could use as a down payment (after its seasoned), and your 401k loan is 4.5% but the 401k is expected to return 7.5% per year the money you save on one end you miss out on the other end basically and if your 401k returns are 20%, then you lose out significantly. 2.

I know Walter personally.. he knows a lot about real estate from many angels..

While personal circumstances can vary, it will be a unique situation indeed if $10K in debt should force you to declare bankruptcy.