Prices have increased (higher terms/rates) as the fed rate has gone up so you have seen people who could get 8 or 9% now in double digits.

The best way to connect and learn is to be in rooms where it's going down.In terms of captial your best bet is to focus on a primary income that cash flow sufficiently, saving as much as you can and doing something real estate related so you can get familiar with the industry.

I was involved in a bunch of industries—from wellness and gyms to digital marketing and consumer products.

I bet both Columbus and Cincinnati made the list. 

Your best/safest bet would be a regular lease combined with an option to purchase.

Usually its a safer bet.

You do that, it's going to be best place to start because I am betting from there you will seek how to simplify things. 

Typically, you can only do one rollover per 12-month period (again, IRS Publication 969 has the details).In the end, having the option to invest your HSA funds is usually a better bet than letting them sit in a basic savings account.

My professional background is data science / analytics, which means analyzing cash flows will probably come more naturally than building relationships, which apparently, is how one finds deals worth making.Are there meetups in these areas I should attend (digitally at first, presumably)? 

Digitize physical receipts for easy storage and use a consistent naming convention for easy sorting - 2024.03.25 Home Depot.- Maintain proper records, such as contracts, settlement statements, and promissory notes.- Additionally, you can track income and expenses consistently using software or spreadsheets.If you track everything, you could show a loss and use that to offset other earned income (such as a W2) which will net you a bigger refund.