Buy a used book and find someone local who's doing the thing, and make them your mentor.

I generally work with home owners looking for long term management, but I do work with a local broker with access to off-market deals, and he sees a lot of activity in the area.

Does your local jurisdiction require you to return those fees if they were not screened? 

Any groups/meetups that i could attend in the local Houston area?

Find a local one.  

Hey gang - A partner and I just started a local RE investor meetup.Q: For anyone that attends these regularly or runs one....what are some of your best practices/tips/tricks to keep your audience engaged and growing?

Detroit requires strong local relationships to navigate things like neighborhood nuances and property management effectively.

In 2022 the rents increased 12.1% year over year which was the 3rd highest in the entire country per https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2023/02/14/cleveland-rent-prices.

I'm going to be taking some time to get to know people in my market as I kind of want to start local in Las Vegas.

Not sure which markets you're considering, but if you set your sights on the coast I can help with local lenders, attorneys, tax pros, etc.