Lots of great, free information here, be sure to check out the podcast, articles, youtube channel and search through the old forum posts for great nuggets of info.McHenry county is a great area, def some desirable pockets there!

There are three groups of costs:Broker fees and commission splitMLS / National Association of Realtor fees - this is the one no one ever thinks about and is generally the highest initial cost (google your local MLS and check out their initial sign on fees and monthly costs or just give them a call)Lead Generation - should you choose to spend money on it2.

Will definitely check out details on your REI meeting. and thank you so much for linking to the articles. 

Check out @Brandon Turner's Book on Investing With No and Low Money Down.

But as @Daniel Dietz mentioned, a loan in your own name, even for an investment property, would generally not be as high a rate as a loan through an LLC.But check out both and see where you get the best terms.I do not own any property in GA, so unfortunately I can’t recommend any lenders specific to there.

Check out the local meetup groups in the area as well.

@Victoria HambyIf you reside in the Atlanta area check out the Georgia Real Estate Investors Association for networking with wholesalers. 

@Edward T Trahey Hey Edward, I would check out April Crossley on Youtube, she has a lot of videos on seller financing which I think you will find helpful.

What I have found here are the derelict properties, lower end tenants, and overall more grease (check out all the 8plexs behind the start listed over a year that dont sell for 550-700k) 8 units for under 700k and 4plexs are selling over 500?

Check out Marcus & millichap North American investment forecast for some info on good markets.