A recent paid study showed that Gaston county had the best opportunity for growth in the region due to its infrastructure, plus Gastonia is putting major emphasis on growth and community development.  

Either spend some time studying @Amanda Han 's book on tax strategies for real estate investing, or hire a professional.

Also, there are a lot of wholesalers etc.First thing: do what Aaron stated, study the market. 

I am studying real estate during my free time but would love to get some hands on experience especially meeting people in the industry!

While living in Japan I started studying real-estate via Bigger Pockets. 

Hello,My name is Jacob Karcher, and I'm a 21 year old college student at the University of Houston (UH) studying Marketing.

Most commercial lenders I work with will ask for floor plans, as well as "Phase 1" documentation (environmental studies, etc.)

The more I look, analyze deals and study the more it seems that now is a good time to wait.  

Peer st is a classic of this .. these days  on the crowd funding front.. 

Great realtor to back into values2. builders to get idea of vertical sq ft costs3. land planner/ engineer for the city county state permitting process.So I find out the big rocks.. then hone in a property that seems good.put it into contract .. then I hire a consulting engineer land planner to do a feasablity study.. if your an existing bigger client they usually do them for free .. in exchange to get your work.but most likely you will have to pay for it.. 5 to 10k is what you can expect.this will include what needs to be done for regulatory approvals.will include environmental hurdles IE who you have to hire / do yo need a wetlands study etc.basic take off on infrastructure costs..