Here are a few things that come to mind. 

This sounds like what I had my mind on.

I did not attend the 3 day class, but purchased the self paced virtual version with the mind set that even if I only learned the how, it would be worth the spend long term.

Hi BiggerPockets community,excited to connect with like-minded individuals who are passionate about real estate investing.

What do you have in mind? 

.- Have attorney draw up a contract to do this.Suggest you offer your dad some cash, now or in the near future, to motivate him to transfer his ownership to you.It may not work out, but you will learn a lot either way!

But be mindful of the debt service requirements and ensure your rental income is sufficient to cover the loan payments.It’s definitely possible to scale up with DSCR loans—many investors use them to build large rental portfolios.

That way my money can keep working for me and I have the peace of mind that I have cash available if necessary.

If you can't find existing meetups, create your own by organizing casual gatherings for like-minded investors.

The factors you mentioned are very important to keep in mind for any investment, but I like investing in areas I know.