Real estate investing Conferences/Expos - These are a great way to completely immerse yourself in real estate investing for a couple days, and be surrounded by like minded people the entire time.

I own the surrounding lot and was the second bidder.

Is the surrounding areas trending also with increased density?

Your drive to learn and network will be invaluable as you explore creative strategies that maximize returns and minimize upfront costs.Feel free to reach out, ask questions, and share experiences this community is a great resource for learning and connecting with like-minded investors.

., who might also want to open an outpost, as well as drive local traffic so it's not all real estate and other people want offices there too.

Or if you're willing to hustle, you can try door-knocking and driving around and looking for FSBOs. 

And that's because you can buy with positive, so why buy negative.Question for you Brian - What will you do doing at the property during its tenancy if you buy the new construction house (which is over an hour drive).

If you rehab a house in one of the neighborhoods you're considering will it be surrounded by other abandoned distressed properties or are these abandoned properties located in decent neighborhoods that people will want to live? 

If its the trendy hot areas, or general "path of progress" and your able to make a trip and go drive around to find that "path" its really the best way. 

File all receipts in a dedicated Google Drive folder.