However, very few bother to get the accreditation that makes them legit.

I haven't had to use him on my first and current rehab (knock on wood), but since his name keeps popping up from different sources he may be legit! 

Particularly for online research, what platforms are the best for finding inventory?

@Tassany Prasoeuthsy Coming up with your criteria and a platform to run the background checks on is the easy part.

I use Tellus for all my rental property management now and they helped me screen tenants via another platform called naborly.

I almost bought a property in what they rated as a 4/5 star neighborhood, and it turns out from asking people who know the area, that I would rate it as more of a 2-1/2 star area.Having said that, I think roofstock is an excellent and legitimate platform for buying/selling properties and I'd buy from them if I found the right property.

Essentially, any time I can make something a LEGIT expense, I do it.

Any pro investors out there could point me in the right direction to contact legit private lenders/investors that could help me fund my deals?

I'm primarily using LoopNet to advertise, and have had brokers and tenants contact me through that platform, but are there alternative to LoopNet that others have found to be successful?

If you're looking for education on becoming one you're definitely on a great platform to get started.