I plan to qualify as a business and meet the criteria for the home office deduction.

I also really enjoy the weekly live webinars and there's a monthly Northern Atlanta Real Estate Meet Up meet up that's awesome. 

Not sure where are you located in southeast missouri - there is a REIA group in Springfield and then a bunch in Kansas City and one that meets in Columbia.  

Items you should be asking yourself about this or any opportunity is:- Risk or Exposure - Exit strategy - Property specifics - Financing - ROI Evaluate worst-case scenario and determine if the property meets your needs or criteria.

Attending local BP meet ups is another way to quickly build your network.

Here are some recommendations for you:Read the Beginner’s Guide: http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investing Join a local Real Estate Investors AssociationFind and connect with other BP members that are in your area: http://www.biggerpockets.com/meet Set up keyword alerts to be notified of the topics that interest you: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alerts If you wish to tag someone in the conversation on the forum, type @ followed by their name and then select the name of the person which should appear below the comments box.

Go to your local REIA (Real Estate Invest Association) meetings or find real estate groups on sites like LinkedIn or Meetup.com.

The property must meet or exceed the 1% rule at purchase (rental income must be 1% or greater of the purchase price).2.  

There's a lot of great local meet-ups that I'd encourage you to look into. 

I can try to answer any questions you may have or if you ever go up to IF, we can meet up.