Again, how is this positive for real estate investment?

Would going to local real estate meet ups be the best way to find potential investors I could partner with?

You know, one of the most effective ways architects can help real estate investors is by using smart design to boost returns on investment.

As I see it, the only ways that real estate pays you well in the first 3-5 years is low to no leverage or a strategy that requires more work (short term rental, mid term rental, rent by the room, etc.).  

Investing in Wisconsin and Illinois is a great move—both states offer solid opportunities for multifamily and single-family rentals.If you’re looking to connect with like-minded investors or agents, I’d recommend joining local real estate meetups or REIA groups in the areas you’re targeting.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

For those that do not feel comfortable enough with excel to build out a tool on your own, I would suggest starting by taking excel courses focused on dynamic real estate modeling.

You may be able to see if a retailer still sells the 2024 version.If you can't get the one time purchase, you would need to see if the cost is beneficial.For real estate -  Quickbooks desktop > Quickbooks online because you can set up multiple entities within quickbooks desktop and not pay an additional cost per entity that Quickbooks online would charge you.Best of luck! 

In my case, I have residential rentals in one LLC, commercial properties in another, self storage in a third, and my real estate company operates in a fourth.

Quote from @La Toya Flowers Butler: I'm a newbie to real estate investing, looking to learn, cultivate business relationships, and invest!