I would also like to begin building my team, but I am a transplant and don't know a lot of people in the area.

I'm an IT director who has fairly recently been transplanted to Clearwater (Safety Harbor), FL and have always been interested in real estate investing.

On the other end of the spectrum, I've briefly viewed properties where we went to college in Florida, and I could buy a 4-plex for 170k, pay 850/mo, rent out three units for 600/mo ea, and net +900/mo minus expenses, plus live rent free myself.

I'm a recent transplant but have been building a US portfolio for the last couple of years - would love to connect with some local folks to chat real estate.Thanks!

Why not take your $160K and buy a MFR in you market, try to live rent free.  

Have the tenant pay your mortgage and you possibly live rent free, or at least a reduced rate.  

I am glad that I convinced myself that there are many hardworking 'drag yourself to work daily' folks out there and are just as worthy of a place to live/rent.

What we'd like to do is have my nephew co-sign on the property and live rent free, and finance the deal with a FHA loan since it would be owner occupied.

7 houses later we make enough in profit from our first 6 to live rent and utility free on our second if we have a good month. 

I am a pretty new transplant myself and have only lived here for a little over 1 year, but I see tremendous potential in the local real estate market.