Establishing a relationship with a few of them locally or nationally [if you have a network] would be extremely beneficial.

You want to have a good relationship with your PM & like tenants, if maintenance isn't handled well, the relationship will fracture.

Rent growth has a strong relationship to appreciation.

What I wrote above does not create an attorney/client relationship between us.

Small ticket items such as these, especially in the start of your landlord/tenant relationship, will go a long way. 

Find some local REI meet ups to build real relationships with other investors and rental owners in your area.

This could let you start building relationships with others in your area (and potentially lead to joint ventures later) and to build up your working capital.

After securing a deal, your focus will shift to closing, finding tenants, and setting up efficient management.If you haven’t already, building relationships with local agents, contractors, and property managers in PA can save you a lot of time and hassle

You'd be better off building a solid emergency fund and developing relationships with reliable local GCs.

And it will be a big asset when building credible relationships.