In my mind there are two paths you could go down that I would keep distinct and separate at this point.

Acquire knowledge of the distinct neighborhood atmosphere, community facilities, and other specific details that play a crucial role in setting the ideal rent for a property.

Great intro @Melani Pratt, welcome to the site.One word of wisdom though: the first deal is not the hardest... that distinction is for the second one.Then once you have the second one, it's the third one.

I got the distinct impression from several of them that they thought they may be getting scammed. 

The only time there is a distinction is financing.

I've never had a partner and I'm curious to know if there's a distinct role that partners take in REI situations. 

thanks @Chris Tan, i just wanted to make the distinction, wasn't sure if it made a difference.It just seems like an easy way to fund a purchase without having to deal with lenders (private, hard, banks) and without having to use cash.Thanks!

Being that I live and invest in Fargo, ND/Moorhead, MN, I have made it my duty to spread the importance of this distinction because I run into far too many out of state investors that associate ALL of ND and it's RE markets with the success of the Western ND oil industry.

San Diego has some very distinct neighborhood boundaries that aren't apparent if you aren't intimately familiar with the area.  

These businesses provided educational return, they got me reading books, but ultimately I failed in terms of finding personal and financial reward through them.Approximately 6 months after my realization, my wife and I were sitting in bed and I was reading the book “Rich Dad Poor Dad”.I remember distinctly, putting the book down and asking my wife “how would you feel about us selling our house and buying 2?”.