All I have pictured in my mind is john Belushi and "Animal House" 

BP is a great online resource and community with lots of active members here in the Charlotte area.  

Maybe consider just getting quotes for labor and you can buy items second hand from online if need be. 

Trust is a big part of the process, and these online only lenders kind of make me leery. 

Beyond that, the little bit of extra money you're going to get is going to either be a little gravy taken from otherwise great tenants or won't make 5 cents of difference if they get an animal that's untrained or otherwise destructive and they don't do anything about it.

If I see that their current arrangement works for me I keep the same company, if not I find other local companies online and feel them out over the phone/website/emails and through reviews (google & biggerpockets are best friends). 

Listening to a relatively recent BP Podcast I recall hearing the interviewee talk about buying properties online via auction but that you have to be careful because some of them (Auction.com he called out specifically) will bid against you in house.

Now you need to start preparing for marketing, showing, screening software and processes, selecting a tenant, Fair Housing, emotional support animals, collecting a deposit, disparate impact, local and state housing laws, Section 8, your lease agreement, late rent, unpaid rent, partial rent, bounced checks, etc.No worries!

Most online education is very similar, both in format and content.

As a hard money lender and real estate developer, I have been looking for online resources and forums where I can expand my network and connect with others interested in the property game.