I am in the process of searching for properties and I have found several but have not analyzed them yet.

Good luck in your search!

I am currently searching for my first deal and would like to be as prepared as possible when its time to go look at a property

They likely know someone interested in expanding their portfolio.Contact commercial lenders in your area and see if they know any investors looking to buy large portfolios.Contact real estate agents or property managers because many of them work for investors and are actively searching for more properties.

You can start by going to www.narpm.org and search their directory of managers.

Im interested in west NC/ east TN areas - its a region I would like to eventually relocate to.Came across 2dayblueprint.com (Jason Palliser) in some of my searches. 

Start the apprenticeship, grind it out, go to college at night (night classes are mostly geared toward working adults), use your military benefits if you can, search for rental property in the meanwhile.Sometimes it can take a year or more to find a deal.

I’m trying to figure out how to search county records to locate properties of 10-50 units in Sacramento, CA.

Here are some recommendations for you:Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area: https://www.biggerpockets.com/search/usersSet up keyword alerts to be notified of the topics that interest you: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsRead Beginner’s Guide: http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investingCheck out BP Podcasts: https://www.biggerpockets.com/podcast If you wish to tag someone in the conversation on the forum, type @ followed by their name and then select the name of that person which should appear below the comments box.

I’m not very familiar with Northwest Indiana, do you have any specific towns or neighborhoods I could should start my search with?