I have entered the chat. 

I asked the chat support person, and they said "...it's for security, to keep conversations on platform."

I'll message you to chat further more about your situation.

My first year was filled with attending classes (I'm with Keller Williams, and they provide awesome free training to their agents), talking to people (in grocery stores, family, online chat rooms, etc), and listening to Bigger Pockets podcasts as I drove (alone) or walked my dog.Literally in year 3, I started getting repeat clients. 

Jeff, I know it's been awhile since we've chatted and I've massively improved my online resources for everything you listed here... neighborhoods, PM's, accurately running numbers, etc.Happy to email that stuff over if you want.

To build trust in real estate investing, start with learning from books and podcasts, online classes, and by joining groups at local events, real estate meetups, and online chats.

I will get in touch with the references and also dedicate a day to chatting with local agents.

My team and I have had a lot of success in the Detroit Michigan marketplace and I am always happy to chat about Detroit real estate !

I recommend setting a time to chat with your PM and set expectations for communications that work for both of you.Most of my owner clients want less communication.

In any regard, I know of a few realtors in the areas that you have mentioned that you could chat with to help you on your search.