Ultimately it was the customer service and poor quality of my post cards that caused me to leave.

I was definitely on the fence about this one for a little while before making the purchase, but there were a number of attractive features that ultimately led me to move forward with the purchase.

I have most recently read in the last 2 weeks, Poor Dad Rich Dad and Bigger Pockets Invest In Real Estate the Ultimate Beginners Guide to Getting Started.

An experienced broker with lots of choices at the palm of their hand is probably the best bet.

The ultimate tax hit is at most $5k (20k * max 25% tax rate) and it's probably not worth it to 1031 exchange for that little of tax deferrals.

This can be very expensive and is usually the worst choice because you can't justify the cost.2.

I also agree that networking with brokers is useful, I was a broker for 15 years, but the choice isn't between networking with brokers or joining a mastermind to network with investors.

If there is a choice to be made, it comes down to what an investor "likes" or prefers about one over the other? 

I would look in the Midwest if that's your ultimate goal.

I'm not super educated on Columbus, so I would let a Columbus agent tell you about their market and I will tell you about this one, and you can make your choice, shooting a message now!