newbie intro and questions (central Indiana)

Hello, everyone. I'm fairly new to the group. I've had a rental house for several years now, but am interested in taking a more serious approach to real estate investing. 

Here are some issues I'm interested in:

Also, are there any forums on here dealing with Americans who have property in the US, but live overseas? I'm based in central Indiana, but have been living overseas for several years.

Would it be to my advantage as an investor to take the real estate exam?

I look forward to networking with all of you.

John