Usually in normal conversation about who will be moving in people volunteer the info in a way that tells use the relationship between possible tenants. 

If you are interested in Chattanooga, Edwin or I could show you around (I am volunteering him w/o permission).

They volunteer their time to come in - they take time away from their business to record classes.

I have supported Real Estate related Veteran Organizations such as Building Homes For Heroes and The Veterans Homestead Project by helping locate  properties, donating materials and volunteering my time.  

I am currently volunteering with my church's repair and maintenance ministry and learning more skills.  

I'm considering signing up as a volunteer to see what's going on with this effort.Thanks, 

Any advice is greatly appreciated.David,Here's what I do for my multi-family buyers:Yes it is hard to estimate for maintenance because of a lot of variablesBut I know its expense is less for more units, for things like 16+ unit buildings, onsite maintenance room for storage materials, onsite employees use less hours to do work ordersSome entities even volunteer their residents to pick up grounds, hence minimizing your maintenance costsIf hdsupply.com accepts your account they specialize in multi-family buildings and you don't have to use man power for delivery or pickups And yes, you can do analysis paralysis but it might help you the bank's formula DCRThe 1031 buyers look at expenses differently Yes there's a number per door, e.g. if the units have been neglected you will spend at least one month's rent in turn ready unit expense    An organized well lubricated team should turn ready units in 2-3 daysPay close attention to the human factor, i.e. low self-esteem employees who will take longer to turn ready units or do work orders with poorly workmanship, theft, etc In capital expenses, concentrate in a few and more expensive to start with, AC, plumbing, electrical

My wife volunteers with a non-profit organization that helps international refugees and immigrants learn English and assimilate into American culture. 

Find a deal ***there are many things in-between like ensuring you structure deals properly with investors, do proper disclosure, due diligence, underwrite deals, etc. but this gives you a good idea of your overall approach***Here are a couple ways to build your network since you said that hasn't been your focus: - volunteer for a non-profit you genuinely believe in.

Not hard to check with legal counsel, do your homework, and maybe volunteer to work with someone on a deal and get some experience...