As a newbie, I’d love to connect with local investors and agents to learn more about the area and refine my plan.

Go Google the average current age of electricians, plumbers, etc.

Typically, since I'm well connected because of flipping, HVAC, roofers, lawn care, carpenters, kitchen & bath & plumbers and electrical all are good sources.

Let’s just say this house taught me the importance of staying calm when your plumber says, We’ve got a problem, and your electrician just stops answering calls...

Fannie Mae will allow you to transfer the deed to an LLC if you decide to try to go the conventional route, but the loan would still be in your names and you'll need to pay a title company a second time post-closing to do this  for you. 3) I can't speak for the area so no comment there4) If you're self managing, make sure you find vendors you can trust in the area since you won't be able to easily verify if an HVAC guy, plumber, etc. is trying to rip you off and tell you to buy something you don't actually need. 5) Make sure you have clear alignment of goals and a clear operating agreement that spells out what to do if those goals start to not align in the future since you'll be jointly obligated to these properties. 

-A water heater issue resulted in repeated mismanagement—confusing unit assignments—leading to extra costs to fix the same issue 3 times and on each occasion "more fixes" needed to the water heaters that I plumber said was needed.

Post on local Facebook pages for contractor referrals, go to local REIAs, and ask your potential agents and PMs (even if not using a PM at first...you may at some point).There is only so much that service providers can do and many of them are far from "experts"; so, be prepared to be your own expert at being willing to figure stuff out as you move forward.

Folks say use a local lender.

My sister lives in Lee’s Summit, so I’ll have family nearby to help navigate the local scene.

Start small with duplexes or triplexes, analyze deals carefully, and build a team of local experts.