I have attended plenty Padsplit events and talked to my Account Executive (AE) and some veterans from Padsplit (the real expert, not newer sales person), and some Padsplit investors who own them and love them. 

Quote from @Ryan Daulton: Network with local investors and build relationships.

Hey @Abigail King - I'm quite a bit further north here in Chicago, but my friend @Brad Stegall hosts a great meetup in Perioa - consider connecting with him and attending the event.Are you looking to buy & hold or fix & flip?

A suggestion I would give you is to find a couple "for rent" signs in your local market, get the address and start "running your numbers" on the rental property calculator that BP has for us on here.

Good to hear from someone local to the Milwaukee area the reality on the ground.

They are heavily capitalized and ready to do the work to find the right deal and work with local & reputable agents.

Michael - while there may be great local CPAs, you can open up your pool of CPAs that can help you by working remotely.

Attend one of these trainings to understand the bid process, there is some nuance as to how the final minute of bidding can be managed, which can be good info to know should bidding be competitive.My attorney has recommended that a writ of possession be filed for any property purchased at auction.  

I was not finding viable local fix-n-flip candidates in my area and I had read a book from BiggerPockets on out of state property fix-n-flips. 

Here are a few tips as you step out on your own: Attend local REI meetups and events in DFW to connect with other investors and contractors.