I’m already just trying to learn so much it’s exciting and im looking forward to this new chapter ! 

Looking forward to meeting some great people and hearing about your experiences!

Then moved into building and selling and keeping spec houses as rentals in AZ. 

I look forward to meeting new people from different backgrounds.All the best,ThobyDelaLuna

People come here, buy, move away and try to keep the house as a rental.

I think you can through BP or through the aforementioned REI meet ups more than likely.i am inclined to agree with a previous poster in that i'm not sure driving for dollars will necessarily yield you what you are looking for.Network with as many other MF investors as possible in your area and find an agent that knows the market and can at the very least set you up on an MLS search for your criteria.Coupled with BP's deal analysis calculator you can then begin underwriting properties you receive from the MLS with your agent or on your own to better understand your market and tailor your expectations moving forward.I'm an investor focused agent that focuses on MF and while we are not in the same market if you have any questions about moving forward with MF LTRs i'd love to see how i could help.

If you ask the manager to justify a fee and he starts hemming and hawing, move on or require them to remove the fee.

On paper the cheap houses look great, but the reality is they are harder to manage, have higher turn over and cost a lot more time and money.Buying before you retire is a good idea because once you retire, your ability to borrow money is going to decrease as you don't have a regular income from a job.As you want to fix houses up, why not buy a house that needs a bit of work, live in it while doing the renos and then move when you sell it. 

Having lived in IN for 8 years before moving to Austin TX, I believe this city offers great opportunity now and much potential.

Subsequently, we are open to creating other connections in the area.Looking forward to the responses!