@Denise Lang - would NOT recommend my local market right now unless you can source it off-market. 

It's a low barrier to entry and a good option for you, I would highly and I mean highly recommend you focus on location.

If you purchased a property, it is recommended to perform a cost segregation study prior to improving / rehabbing the property as it is harder to document after the fact.

Whether it’s for fix-and-flips, rentals, or other projects, I’d love to learn more about who you’ve worked with and what your experience has been like.Do you have any solid connections or recommendations for private lenders who use their own capital?

That’s thanks to a combination of rent increases, successfully appealing property taxes (highly recommend if you understand the process), and just giving the portfolio time to stabilize.One thing I’ll say is that a lot of people underestimate how much capital it takes to scale quickly.

I have a few I can recommend.

If you're still looking to connect with some real estate professionals in Pittsburgh to help build your portfolio, I strongly recommend reaching out to @Elise Bickel Tauber

Does anyone have any experience with a good program and can recommend one?

I'm obviously biased, but I think working with a broker will speed up your learning curve.If the broker you work with isn't transparent on everything they do with you (not for you), I recommend finding another broker.

To close the loop on this story, we hired Rick Dempsey (who was fantastic by the way, highly recommended if anyone needs a MA-base SE...Matt Kelly, we really appreciate that referral!).