Look up the owner of the property, and (unless it appears to be a homeowner), reach out to that owner and introduce yourself. 

Many have posted a few great tips already, that's the cool thing about this forum ;-)That said, I highly recommend using the awesome tools provided here on BP to learn the basics of analysis and underwriting.A few tips to get started and your continued learning:Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area.Set up keyword alerts to be notified of the topics that interest you.Read Beginner’s Guide.Check out BP Podcasts.Find upcoming real estate events and meetups near you.If you'd like to tag someone in the conversation, type @ followed by their name and then select the name of that person that appears below the comments box.

my two cents: I prefer multis, 3 plus over singles and two families as inevitably you will have vacancy, late or missing rental income and it n my eyes is easier to swallow a piece of it than all your income or the property.Maybe down the road you could also convert to condos

Real estate is easier to predict as supply is still low and demand is high.

The couple of deals I have done myself since getting my own license have been so much easier than the ones using another agent.

Owning rental property is a job - maybe easier and more flexible than M-F 9-5, but still a job, even if you farm it out to a PM.

A local real estate developer/landlord has filed a civil action suit against what appears to be EVERYONE whoever operated an AirBnB that did not fall within the legal short-term rental zone ("short-term overlay" for those familiar with Charleston) whether you rented it 1 or 1,000 times.

You would have to work to find the real players because when you are new, most people that aren't really good investors will make themselves appear to be. 

Are businesses starting there or do they appear to be moving out?

Here are some recommendations for you:Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area: http://www.biggerpockets.com/meetSet 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: http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/category/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.