I see high property taxes and older homes that requires ongoing maintenance.  

Looking for environmental attorney who can provide legal advice to seller on seller's legal responsibility relating to ongoing cleanup of property. 

The walls had black spots and marks on them everywhere in the house.We told the tenant he isn't getting the security deposit back yet, completed repairs, and then eventually (after 30 days, as work was still ongoing) gave him an itemized list (that we created based on the total bill). 

You would have ongoing filing requirements with the State and would need to keep business records and documentation.

My question is to other investors what have you done in the past and what are your thoughts on going direct vs just using the broker and paying the 3%.

@Hannah Krebs I plan on going to the bank to talk to them no matter what because that is my ideal situation.

Do they provide you an ongoing coach/mentor post-conference?

And that's the catch, sponsors need to have ongoing management and participation other than just raising capital.I'd recommend listening to few podcasts that discuss real estate syndication and not the guests.

Most folks will talk with prospective investors in general terms about the types of properties they're planning on going after to gauge interest and get an understanding of how much capital they can raise.

Thank you for the tip on going local.