I attended a seminar at a local REIA and they talked about using debt as a "weapon" to get out of debt faster (thus paying off your mortgage early).

Invest in Knowledge and NetworkingJoin local real estate investment groups, attend seminars, and connect with mentors.

I was told to attend networking events.

Joining investor groups or attending meetups can connect with seasoned investors.

Attend RE meet ups

I analyzed over 20 markets and picked three so there are a lots of markets to choose from.Start networking on bigger pockets as well as attend local meetups and REIs to find referrals for GC, PM, broker, TKP, lender, property inspector etc.

I have worked with many experienced investors from Southern California, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson, Denver, and other large metro areas in the southwest and west coast, with seasoned investors that still live in all of those great cities but have shifted most of their real estate investments out of those higher cost or higher risk markets into ours. 1) Compared to most cities in the SW and West, home prices in the Albuquerque metro are relatively affordable.

@Collin SchwartzYou are a cool guy for putting on all of the Omaha meetups and you have done a great job in a very short period of time.I met you at one of your meetups last year, but work, family, and my investment properties have kept me too busy to attend recently. 

I attended couple of real estate meetups.

I would recommend attending local meet ups so you can talk to investors who buy in California as well as OOS.