One question for the community is: What are the next best steps I should take to further educate myself and get started in this industry to set myself up for future success?

We found it very successful to do direct marketing along with cold calling.  

Kyle can have success with the right property but it really has to be the right property.

Be mindful of a gift tax implications if you sell a house for less than FMV.Also be mindful of transactions between related parties when selling at a loss.

i have much higher expenses and more headaches of course, but cash flow is higher.most major tier 1 or tier 2 cities should have significant enough rental demand to be able to implement this strategy pretty successfully. 

Quote from @Joe Paasch: I have joined this site to gain important incites, discussions and plans to build a successful portfolio.  

Everyone wants to brag and spout off about how well they've done and which strategy is the yellow brick road to success.

Please feel free to reach out to discuss how we can collaborate to achieve successful outcomes.Looking forward to hearing from you!

My bank said no problems on their end, and I was never able to reconnect my bank for downloading transactions.

When I have inherited tenants, I have been most successful when I have provided longer non-renewal notices, like 60-90 days, and offered to assist with moving costs.