My professional background is data science / analytics, which means analyzing cash flows will probably come more naturally than building relationships, which apparently, is how one finds deals worth making.Are there meetups in these areas I should attend (digitally at first, presumably)? 

In 2019, I launched my own revenue management agency to help Airbnb owners boost their income and achieve greater returns on their short-term rental properties.

Check out this recent rental report from Zumper ranking cities in the US with the highest rents. https://www.zumper.com/blog/rental-price-data/ Welcome to BP - do you work exclusively with investors as a broker or is it just a good portion of your clientele?  

So, for me, step #1 is to review the data the assessor has on my property.

Firstly I apologize that I do not have any market insights data specifically, but Houston has been a rough market as valuations have pulled back.

They do minimal at best verification of the data the applicant provides.

I always enjoy reading your updates and thoughts on the area.So, what is your best area right now according to your data and opinion?

There are a lot of good meetups for real estate investors in the area that would be good to grow your network and learn from others that are and have been in your shoes as a new investor, message me and I can share on some specific monthly meetups.Also sharing some multifamily data, this is Boston proper so it has an interesting trend compared to the rest of Massachusetts.

However if I do a BRRRR I can achieve infinite return by extracting all of my investment.

From using data to identify emerging markets to building tools that automate property analysis or management, your skills could really give you an edge.