My main concern at starting all this is talking to people.

I would just say that if you're going to get a rental in December just something to think about during the months of November-January there is generally less demand for housing as people don't really like to move during the winter. 

@Dave BrinkmanI always tell people new to this site to check out the podcasts.

Go to local real estate investing meetingsTalking to people, attend HOA meetings, realtor meetings, get social and tell people what you're doing.

There must be people on here who have had this issue and found solutions. 

That's a step way too many people skip to their detriment.

People will reciprocal and you could start by doing JV or maybe shadowing a successful investor in your area.

So, I figured I should bring one to the community and have people tell me where I'm wrong and what I'm missing.  

Forget about the fantasy of foolish people thinking they should enjoy their job.

There are some "Deal Diaries" here on the BP Forums that people share their progress, in text format.