my pastor/mentor had convinced me to get out of the high rent district and cram into a small 3 bedroom house with 2 other friends- which allowed me to save up money ($800 a month to $250!!).

If you have paid rent to your landlord in the past, or even if you have not, the courts will hold that since you are occupying a landlords property it is understood there is a lease in place.

Thanks Rob, I have sent a few emails out to brokers I have looked up on Loopnet.I was hoping that someone here could recommend a broker that they have worked with in the past, or possibly another BP member who is an agent in the Cinci area.

I wonder if anyone could spam me with a name or two - of the real estate attorneys with whom you worked in the past (or maybe still working)?

@Mason Pastore

 $275 for an entire year on this type of building isn't realistic.Check Chicago Code Violations for any past or current property violations.  

Pastor (25 years).  

So, you have some experience with renovations:)You can enhance your chances of a profitable project by finding a partner that's done something like this in the past or at least a project of this size.Going forward on this alone will be nerve-wracking, run your life and be a great learning experience, but may lose money in the end.

I've been listening to podcasts (Bigger Pockets / Take Action - local to me) and reading a few books (Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Millionaire Real estate Investor, The book on Rental Property Investing...) to learn more about the industry and lately I've been shifting gears towards building my network to help me get more educated on the current state of investing in real estate.To date I have been able to connect with a private investor to help fund a deal, I have a couple realtors that I have known for 20+ years that can help me find deals, I'm starting to meet with a couple people that I know that have invested in the past or are currently investing, and I have a couple of lenders in mind to reach out to as well to have on hand if need be.My question for the forum is whom else should I be networking with to be ready for that first jump into an investment? 

@Grant Grabinoski What do you think is causing it to run at lower occupancy than in the past or neighbors as you said?