I'm an engineer and a single mom and just want to get a little more financially secure by investing in properties.Any newbie tips are appreciated.

I am 24 year old software engineer who is on track to becoming a real estate investor  and entrepreneur!  

This is because all the young engineers want to live in the city, and if your startup isn't in SF, you essentially can't find young engineers (which means you're stuck paying about double for the ancient 30-50 year olds).I know a couple medium-sized startups (200-500 people) outside of SF that are forced to bring in 50-100 engineering summer interns each year, hoping to recruit a few of them after college. 

We inspected every unit, performed a lease audit, had an inspector test the systems, and hired an engineer to study the land improvements and utilities.

. - Gainfully employed as a software engineer. - Renting a house while building savings.

I'm a recent grad at NJIT for mechanical engineering and currently enrolled to go back and get my masters degree.

I hear people talk about meetups on the podcasts a lot and I did some brief searching through the search engine but found nothing.

I wasn't sure on how the beam would need to be supported so I brought in an engineer to look at the structure and with his suggestion was able to place the beam directly on the old foundation.

If they're good, here are my three best suggestions:- Approach other investors at a local real estate investors association (REIA) meeting- Advertise the deal here on BP- Talk to any professionals you work with (doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants, etc) and ask if they have IRA money they want to put to work

Can a contractor handle most structural issues, or is it good to have an engineer handy?