Coming out from the Advertising industry in the city for the past 10 years i'm now situated out east on the north fork of Long island and looking for make moves in this region in real estate.Looking to connect with likeminded people and start to grow a network and community around me.

Recommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

Would love to meetup, network, and have a meaningful discussion!

Looking to connect with likeminded people and start to grow a network and community around me.

Although a book can't offer that live-networking aspect, i feel Bigger Pockets offers that.So my question is, what is the sentiment around here on paying $5K+ to avoid having to search for all your networking needs. 

Get them to call you first when a deal comes to them.I appreciate your goal to automate some processes and I'm sure in your field it happens all of the time, but there is no replacement for good 'ol person contact and networking.

Was it finding the right market, navigating local regulations, or building a network?

Bigger Pockets is a great place to learn and connect with fellow investors.If you’re looking to invest in your backyard, it helps to network with as many local investors as you can.

I can say for certain my top 2 moments of the conference were the initial guided networking session lead by Andy Gil, really was a great small group of investors and I'm confident I'm going to consistently keep up with their journeys!

Bigger Pockets is a great place for education and networking and is full of great content.I recommend that you check out the following resources:1.