My wife and I live in Columbus, OH and would love to network and connect around the city as well as with people in MI. 

Looking for some advice on where to live in the area to make something like that happen, but not be too annoying for a pair of late 30s professionals.

In addition, Brooklyn is filled with young professionals and has a lot of fun stuff to do.2) I want an appreciation playI understand cash-flow near NYC is tough, so I want the appreciation play to be strong via the forced appreciation and via normal appreciation.

Welcome to the best networking site in the game!

So, if you have very low funds to start with, I think that's step 1... find ways to save/earn more and start stashing it away while you learn, network, etc.

I’ve had nothing but professional experiences with the people I’ve worked with.

Once having those professionals selected, its best to have a Predevelopment meeting with the city/county to discuss all requirements for your site.

My wife and I are working professionals and this is my early retirement gambit, so we are pretty serious.

But my understanding is also that there can be tremendous tax benefits / write offs when it comes to real-estate.I am looking for more guidance from professionals on how to structure my investments and how I could potentially harness the power of depreciation and write-offs to legally save money on my active earned income.

Consulting with HVAC professionals experienced in working with mini-splits can provide valuable insights into optimal unit placement, sizing, and strategies for enhancing airflow to areas without direct air handler placement.