I have been reading bigger pockets for years but just "officially" joined.

I currently work at Audi Seattle selling and leasing the nicest luxury vehicles on the road today :-) My first real estate goal would be to purchase a multi family residence, live in it, rehab it, and use the cash flow to pay down the debt.My long-term real estate goal would be to build a portfolio that would allow me to retire from going to a 9-to-5 job.I came to join bigger pockets to connect with a community of like-minded people and to help contribute to the community where I can.Thanks for reading! 

Washington Landlord Association is worth joining.  

The more you hangout here and join the local real estate meetups on your place, the better you'll find people you are looking for. :)

We are happy that you have joined BP!

If I quickly joined as a pro member on BP, would finding partners typically be possible within a few days? 

Asim Alam glad you could join us!

Consider joining REI goups on meetup.com or different investment groups on Facebook. 

I wanted to know if there are any local real estate meeting in/near Fort Lauderdale, FL where I would be able to join and network with other people. 

Home depot sells a special paste and special wire connectors, which allow you to join the copper and aluminium.