Although we do have our own money in every project we do, we rely heavily on our network of Private Lender's.

I am happy to connect with you and also send you my network of vendors as well. 

NETWORK!!!

We acquire land years in advance through our network of real estate agents and wholesalers in the Jacksonville market.

My network of cpas, attorneys and investors are telling me it’s still worth it because of appreciation and tax benefits.

I have been to RE meetups in the past with like-minded everyday investors pursuing similar goals, sharing stories and learning from each other, running through numbers, sharing network contacts, and even doing deals together.

Cincinnati and Columbus chapters are very active here and nationally and a great resource for networking, recommended contractors/vendors and education.

I suggest before that, get heavily networked into your target market. namely with the older investors.

@Lauren MerendinoI strongly believe that your chosen market should be somewhere that you can go to in person / have strong personal knowledge of / have family or a network in already.  

Recommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.