You can meet them at local real estate meetups (Google "mytown real estate investor association").I would say you're off to a great start by knowing exactly what you want.

Close business associate is source through his high volume Bulk Portfolio Trades.

Yes - Becky Slocum with Smith and Associates - RealtorAmanda Majette with Open Mortgage - Lender

In contrast, when you secure a great tenant, the need for management and the hassle associated with it goes down dramatically.

Also I recommend to find a knowledgeable accountant who is very familiar with real estate, as not all accountants are.As a general rule of thumb, you account for all income and expenses associated with the rental property together during the year, and in the end of the year when the time comes to file your taxes you need to calculate the ratio between personal and business use according to the tax guidance.First, you need to strictly divide direct and indirect expenses associated with your rental property.

You're investing in an area that produces tremendous cashflow, however there is risk associated with that and some of it is what your experiencing right now but the good will outweigh the bad if you're going to truly buy and hold.

There is also a local Landlord's association chapter.

This is important because I believe we are getting ready to enter a round of foreclosures and we want to be in a position to pick up prettier properties than we purchased last go round.We are also working on converting our PM business into a franchised brand with Property Management Inc, that has a support structure not only for residential rentals, but also for short term, commercial, and association managment.  

I think you can gain a lot of exposure by joining local apartment owners association.

All they need is your associated email address.