Here's some different ideas probably than others will suggest to you.1. 

Even if you have to travel a couple of hours, you have a much better chance of finding someone.How to approach a mentorOnce you've found a likely candidate, it's time to reach out and ask.

In order to qualify for real estate professional status, you need to spend more than half of your work-related hours dealing in real estate directly, or more than 750 hours during the tax year.

Usually, this would include something like a holding company ("Hold Co"), typically a traditional LLC, which in turn then owns an investment entity, often a traditional or Series LLC, which will be the entity that owns the assets/property invested into (the "Investment Co").

If you put it out there asking for a 3-5 year lease with a small business or startup in your mind, but H&R Block or Supercuts comes along asking for a 10 year NNN (& it's corporate) and agrees to the rent amount you requested, there's no reason not to entertain that, you got better than what you were expecting (there's a reason NNN properties, or ones with a few NNN tenants sprinkled in that are national chains, often sell for lower cap rates), it's not like taxes or hair cuts are going obsolete any time soon. 

@Tiffany Da SilvaHi Tiffany,Just for clarity - when you say $3,300/month cashflow - that is $3,300 more in income than expenses for the property?  

Maybe you don't want to build the next great real estate empire, but continue purchasing more saavy investments every couple of years.

Other than cap rate and cash flow, what other metrics/calculations do investors use to determine whether or not a property would make a good rental?

I have been searching online for a real estate investors networking group in Vermont but it doesn't seem like there is much so I would like to start one.Even if it is just a couple people to start I think having a network of like-minded people is crucial to success. 

If buying now aligns with your long-term financial goals and property needs, it might be worth moving forward rather than waiting.Impact on Property Prices: Lower interest rates can boost demand for properties, which might drive up prices.