I live in Atlanta, GA and am looking to network and meet fellow Real Estate Investors and professionals in the area, and am curious to hear some different opinions on this topic that has had me questioning how I want to start for quite some time.

Capital Hill doesn't sleep, home of ANTIFA and has the same patronage/problems homelessness as the Tenderloin District in San Francisco.

I've set time in my schedule each week for REI research and professional development that PB will definitely be part of.I also would really like to get involved in a local REI community, So thanks, @Alexander Wardell for the suggestion, I will look into the upcoming events for the Boston Real Estate Guild!

Looks like I have to sleep even less to add another podcast to my schedule :) 

You will act professionally, politely, and respectfully, even when a tenant doesn't.

I worked alongside professionals as a "helper" With pretty much no construction experience, they put me on the dirty grunt work, cleaning rat poop, removing the old toilets, scrubbing down baseboards, etc. but as I was doing that, I was watching every single thing they did, and pestered them with tons of questions on how to do things and different techniques.

There are certain issues to consider like the due on sale clause which you can learn more about in the forums on Bigger Pockets but from what I gather is not something to loose sleep over. 

I tried to overcome that objection by explaining that, unlike a LTR, STR's are professionally cleaned almost weekly and during that time they are inspected for damage and if any, repairs are made immediately.

You can use your money however you like, but it will still be taxable.Highly recommend sitting down with a tax professional and figuring out your exact situation.

You did not say if you are going to hire professional installers or do it yourself.