There is a tremendous amount of information available.

I personally believe that your background as an architect is a tremendous asset giving you "hands on" experience, not to mention established connections.

A real estate course will help you do more learning than searching, which will save you a tremendous amount of time. 

There is no way to vet the advice you get on BP and while it is a tremendous resource to share information, to learn from investors and to meet people, it is not a place for legal advice. 

I've been in Indy since April and have learned a tremendous amount. 

Am I crazy to accept a little lower CoC in order to get into the area which I believe has tremendous momentum and growth for the foreseeable future?

Interest rates shouldn't vary tremendously from Lender to Lender. 3.

I agree with @Dan Barli, both of those books by @Brandon Turner and @Scott Trench are excellent and have helped me tremendously.

But I can tell you he's lost about $200k in commissions as I don't deal with him and have bought a tremendous amount since.  

There are tremendous resources on this site for you to use.Attend local REIA meetings and connect with like-minded investors: https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521-events-and-happeningsRead the Beginner’s Guide: http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investingListen to the BP Podcasts:https://www.biggerpockets.com/podcast