Search on meetup.com for local real estate meetup clubs in that area.You should be able to find quite a few.

Depending on the scale, a local CPA may not be able to perform a full audit.  

Go to BUILD YOUR TEAM at the top of your screen and you can search for other MEMBERS or LOCAL MEETUPS.

I would recommend house hacking locally.

Additionally, attending local real estate investor associations can be fruitful, as wholesalers often attend these events to connect with potential buyers.Another method is to keep an eye out for bandit signs in your local area that advertise messages like "we buy houses" or "cash for homes."

I was getting interest rates that were slightly over 7% for a fixed, and I recently learned about the 5/6 ARM through my local credit bureau who I had financed my car through many years back.

I would suggest at least have a chat with some local realtors/investors to familiar yourself with the neighborhood and growth potential. 

This creates so much positive leverage without much riskbut buying a retail priced asset, like much of the real estate market today, and putting market priced debt on it seems like the opposite - higher risk without an exciting upside I would not do the same now.Leverage is great, I don't care about even 7% rates, it's the retail asset prices that make me steer clear 

Otherwise, you could attend local meetups, join mentorship programs or work with investor-friendly agents.

Talk to a local realtor about rental trends.Consider the specific homes you've found.