Try different meetups and set a goal for how many you'd like to attend each month/quarter.Lastly, if you could supplement your direct mail efforts with cold calling those same leads, you'll have a better chance of conversion.

For me, I use a mail campaign that is like creating a conversation with your sellers.

The conversions have been a great addition to help with building my portfolio and I'm happy that you are implementing the same.

Would it make more sense as a complete apartment conversion, and then the business could rent elsewhere?

It means nothing.Pay $5,000 to "Open the Door" and you have bought a black box of whatever the seller wants to provide (a paper application handed to you from a lender, a website address, etc...)When buying something like this and "Sales Fluff" is introduced into the conversation (vs. hard facts such as, a line of credit will be set up for $X 90 days after doing Y with Z lender, etc...) there is unusually a reason for the "Sales fluff".Ask for a copy of the contract and take the time to read it to see what you would actually get for your $5,000, and if the contract has "Sales fluff" in it--Buyer Beware.If there is no contract, or they balk at giving you an opportunity to read it (pressure you into signing now), it might not be such a good deal for you.And Sales fluff may be a red flag about other parts of the "Opportunity" also.Good Luck! 

Really excited about joining the conversation and sharing my experiences with the community here!

I'm hoping this conversation might help to steer me in the right direction on my research. 

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-investingIf 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.

She qualifies on her own, but I’m worried that this separation may be a ruse because her husband may not meet the rental requirements (prior evictions/criminal background, etc) Perhaps it was just a slip of the tongue, but she referred to him as her husband several times during our conversation and it’s odd to me that they’d show up together if they are separating. 

Conversely, most homes in this specific area/town are selling at closer to $300/SF.