We have our own personal home, but are interested in the idea of having some rental properties to generate additional income and build wealth. 

Unless you plan to pair it with a construction division or can build out a brokerage and the property management is utilized to bring in and/or retain business, it's not a great business to be in if you plan to manage 3rd party assets.

Even brand new builds will require repairs.  

It's not a perfect measure, but it's very close and year to year consistency is highly reliable due to limited new rental inventory

I'm looking for events that attract a good mix of real estate investors, agents, and other professionals where I can showcase our lending solutions and build relationships.

I am always paying attention to job sites that are similar in scopes to my own and build sub contractor relationships that way.

Anyone have any recommendations for any of the following:-Local fix/flip mastermind groups or general real estate investing groups-Reputable hard money lenders with a good reputation - ideally one that has reliable contractor references-Fix/flip friendly contractors-Fix/flip friendly agent that has hyper-local market knowledge of North Dallas markets-Wholesalers worth talking to

Especially when I am well aware that there are already several owners currently building their case against you.One thing I do agree with you on is that you are an out-of-the-box strategist.

They add $100k to $150k of value to the property in year 1 and build equity at a 5% rate per year. 

We have multiple witnesses, including the building inspector, who agree there is no cat odor.