I would recommend tuning into Straight Up Chicago Investor Podcast and going to local meetups. 

Separately from all of that - I recommend reviewing your lease up procedures to improve verification of signing tenants and their agreement and aware of terms and conditions. 

be sure to stick to your 70% rule for the flip, know your numbers. run everything conservatively. overbudget for time and costs but 15-20% Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Or are there other methods you’d recommend that could align better with my goals?

Provide copies to all parties involved.This project-specific agreement works well for one-time jobs, but if you plan to work with subcontractors regularly, I highly recommend having an attorney draft a Master Services Agreement (MSA) for your business.

I recommend comparing lenders to make sure you get some good terms and financing options for your next investment!

Others have little/no experience and will give you bad advice that takes you down the wrong path.I recommend you focus on educating yourself while saving more money. 

To get access to the maximum amount of equity, I would recommend Tower Credit Union.

Others recommend tools like Stessa or Buildium to track actual costs and project future expenses. 

What strategies do you recommend for securing hard money loans for spec builds?