Have multiple organizations that would take open space with us. 

Amongst other things, your management company should be responsible for: Liaising with your tenant Ensuring they pay on time Organizing any repairs necessary Communicating with you on a regular basis Paying you the balance of your rent Providing monthly statements Placing new tenants.A professional who manages your portfolio and your tenants well over a number of years is worth his or her weight in gold.

@Griselle Monzon, the only other local meetup that I am aware of is one that has been organized by Bigger Pockets members.

Nasty landscaping, poor dumpster placement, parking that is poorly organized are a few things that may be easy to remedy and change the perception of the property. 

MIG is a great organization. 

And just to be more ambitious, this is the list of everything I want to do:- Clean all the junk and debris from the house and yard and demo the shed in back- Replace the roof and fix the gutters/soffits- Landscaping- Replace all the windows with double-pane vinyl windows- Replace all the floors in the house (ceramic tile for the kitchen/bath/laundry room, and vinyl plank for the living room and the upper level)- Re-do the bathroom with new everything -- plumbing, tub, shower surround, floor, sink/faucet, toilet, mirror, accessories- Re-do the kitchen with new cabinets, counter tops, and sink/faucet- Paint the entire interior (white ceilings, beige for walls, white for trim)- Replace all the light fixtures, outlets, and switches- Replace the front and back doors and put in new locks- Add smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors as required- Finish off the upper level (that was begun by someone else)I want my rehab budget to stay at or under $30,000 and I want to complete everything within 2 months from closing. 

I built my buyers list pretty organically as time went on, but I mostly just sell to 2 or 3 people.

@Guy Gimenez holds one in south Austin, and @Mike Walker organizes one hosted by @Lynn Currie - great people and great content to get you started! 

We also have two real estate investor organizations in the area that are very active and informative.

I have concerns about working with one of these types of organizations because I'm not sure what the likelihood of paying rent will be once the renter is on their own.