When the house eventually sold, I contacted the buyers agent and explained it to him so he could be the hero with his clients and show them how they could save a bundle on their property taxes by appealing and getting that corrected!

Contacting rentals is a smart approach too, its all really a numbers game

A few years ago there were a lot of get rich quick types, and I still get contacted by people who think they can buy 2 houses and retire on the cashflow. 

So although you may be able to contact an appraiser in your area and get a quote of $500 for an appraisal, $750 is pretty standard to see during the mortgage process.

How do I find contacts for contractors and agents in Portland?

Happy to share some contacts with you.

I'll reach out to my PM contacts in TX for you.

Quote from @Unal Baris Kancoglu: I contacted as many companies as possible to get a quote to compare prices for new gas furnaces.

Private lending, if done effectively could give a beginner the contacts, experience and market insight to be ready for the right value add buy and hold.

So any contacts, known meet ups, or especially advice for an initial purchase is greatly appreciated!