If you are just a plain person they usually must serve you in person. 

For in person connections try some local real estate meetup groups.

Property appreciation that you realize that you don't get if you rent.4.

@Leslie L Meneus, while the forums can be pretty good, in-person networking and sharing ideas is much more valuable.  

Today is very different as it is all about the management (and not appreciation) compared to past where management could suck but you still had superior apprecation.This will not crash housing of course but all those "creative" deals where people are paying more than market value are going to realize they have no exit. 

I personally did a couple last year that I self furnished and self manage while working full time.  

The key is to identify personal property from real property.

I called and emailed Nomad daily and could not reach a live person, even in an emergency.

Require co-signers (like their parents), check references from previous landlords or college housing, verify enrollment status, and personal interviews to gauge responsibility.6.

Personally see these laws sweeping the nation..