Historically, Charlotte has never experienced more than two months of this level of inventory in any given year.Days on Market Has DoubledCompared to last summer, the average Days on Market for rental properties has doubled, making it clear that tenant demand isn’t keeping up with supply.Why Is This Happening?

Yes I would agree you do need some level of expertise/experience.

Are there any local meet ups or websites on where to find more people who have a moderate level of experience meaning they are  somewhat experienced but still looking to collaborate and network with more inexperienced investors like myself.

There are different approaches to this: you could go to work for a large PE firm starting at their entry-level rung on the ladder and working your way up. 

It will ultimately depend on price point and what level of service you want to provide. 

Obviously you can maintain a stronger presence and level of involvement investing in properties near you.

People have brought up interesting ideas to help you get to the next level.

But it's YOUR money, and Real Estate, to put it mildly, is a contact sport).Month 5: Deals & Network (15-18 hours/week)Submit first offersAttend 2-3 REI events monthlyBuild social media presenceKey Goal: First offer acceptedMonth 6: Scale & Automate (15-20 hours/week)Delegate initial tasksEstablish morning/evening routinesCreate follow-up systemsKey Goal: Sustainable weekly schedule🚫 Common Pitfalls to Avoid:Overcommitting earlyNeglecting W2 responsibilitiesSkipping system creationTaking on too many mentor calls✅ Success Markers:Consistent daily actionsGrowing networkClear systemsNo work conflictsSteady deal flowMaintained energy levels👉 Action Steps This Week:Audit your current scheduleBlock 2 hours dailyChoose your power hour (morning/evening)Set 30-day milestoneGeneral Comment:  obviously not everyone will follow these suggestions.  

As Jay mentioned they must be NMLS licensed if owner occupant of in several states even commercial needs licensing.The NMLS is like the database, each state has a division of banking that oversees lending requirements then you also on the federal level have CFPB as well as consumer protection laws.I want to add that I believe yesterday the CFPB is undergoing changes, but if it goes away that does not mean that many of the laws in place especially consumer protection laws would go away. 

However, if the FHA interest rate is lower, I would still go that route and if rates drop refinance  however keep in mind FHA has PMI for life  Here you go FHA has the self sustaining requirement that requires the three non owner occupied  units to cover the entire PITI which with 3.5% or 5% down is virtually impossible with today's interest rates and price level.