Hey @Anne Christensen - Having been on both sides of real estate meetups (attending and hosting), I can tell you they're absolutely worth your time if you pick the right ones. 

And as you mentioned, you can also pick higher risk deals that have higher IRR.

Seems like a cashflow only market, so picking a neighborhood that can get decent tenants is a must. 

I looked at various tools but ultimately picked Baselane due to its ease of use and scalability.

I will be there the following morning to pick up the keys and complete the move-out inspection."

I just picked Dusk Cherry…so, thanks for the confirmation

I’m also in the process of reaching out to people in my city/neighborhood who are experienced REIs, RE agents, and GCs to get their insight and pick their brains, start to conceptualize potential partners, etc.

Picking a house with major, costly structural issues or in a location with poor rental demand can hurt both the rental and refinance phases.

I'd like to pick a good platform and keep everything under one roof - not need multiple tools. 

Try to pick a strategy that you can be passionate about and of course makes sense.