There is no secret sauce unfortunately. 

I researched him like I had a secret crush.

Focus on that and cut out all the James Bond stuff the meeting on the park bench, the internet sleuthing and secretly recording conversations.

Do many real estate investors really try to keep their secrets to themselves when hustlers come for help, or cut people off after using them?

And this is exactly what happened to me.The industry's dirty little secret is getting rid of all owners for which you have high vacancies due to bad management and/or bad tenant screening.

I secretly wonder if people are knocking out competition this way lol.

It is OK that they don't know the true secret to wealth generation.   

My secret method is turn the door knob.

I've yet to attend a meeting yet but this group is one of the main two in DFW, and the less known little secret of the two.

I guess I was over thinking it and thought I needed to go find some secret county website or something.