There are, and truly there's not a way that's wrong- there's just a way that works for you.House prices are lower today than they will likely be at an average point in the future, and getting into action is the key to success in this industry. 

Getting on ground and visiting the city is key. 

I’m looking to network with everyone I can because networking is one of the keys in business.

We never know when a bubble will burst, but after looking over trends in general, one can take grave notice to a few things changing rapidly in regards to real estate.

Given keys a the time of purchase, empty house turned into a rental unit in one month.

Well, you might be kind of missing a key point.

Professional communication is the key.

Our MLS is on an e-key that only agents and appraisers can get access to (that I know of). 

Many investors utilize different strategies in different markets and different times in the market cycle, but it’s good to nail down one key skill at a time and get strong at it.

A great buyers agent will be able to help you fine tune your strategy, highlight market trends, knows where and what to look for, hook you up with the best lenders, inspectors, contractors, etc, get you the full background on a property and the sellers, knows how a particular property compares to other deals and what a great deal looks like, identify untypical risks and knows what to look for before you waste time and money on an offer & homeinspection just to cancel the deal later, get the lowest possible offer accepted, oversee the transaction and handle all the paperwork, including title work and appraisal, knows how to approach a short sale differently from a REO, negotiate inspections and repairs successfully and help you make more money, safes you time and lower your risk every step of the way.Sounds like you signed with someone who provides value by knowing lockbox numbers?