I would not compare it to Vegas style gambling but I get your point. 

Best partners are people that have been doing it a long time and have good relationships with local government officials that are under pressure to increase housing options.If you have all of those things you are just gambling that the market will stay strong long enough to get your return.Be careful with the 'we just sit on it for a few years'.

It's a gamble about parties, unit damage, etc. 

It's not rocket science, but you also don't want to gamble with your liabilities either. 

For example I just sold a house, made 240K in two years give or take after expenses, and can now roll that profit into index funds, turn key properties, etc.Yes, appreciation is a bit more risky, but I wouldn't call it gambling if you know the economic fundamentals. 

Investing in rental properties is a learning process and it is great that you have been authentic and transparent. 

Reviews from AgentAdvice.com or Glassdoor are great places to look for authentic reviews from other real estate professionals.

Are there any authentic real estate meetups where I can network?

The use a secure handshake authentication method that logs into your bank account and verifies that Mint is allowed to get transaction data from the account. 

You should not gamble with your families health.