1. I'd like to learn how to locate good rental units in the 70 to 90k range. By the end of the year I should have enough to put 20% and still have enough reserves I feel comfortable with. What are some of the better blogs to sign up for?
Look on Realtor.com or zillow or redfin to get a sense of what is being sold for your target asking price. Look on craigslist to see what people are asking for properties like those. Look at some rental listings (see the units) to see what is being offered for a given monthly rent. Talk to a real-estate agent and ask to look at listings in that price range.
You will probably need at least 25% down for an non owner-occupied investment property. It may be worth talking to a mortgage officer to clarify the requirements.
2. If it makes sense, I want to operate as a business to protect my assets. Would the local score agency be a good resource? Would I need to go to an accountant before I get started?
Do you mean you want to form a corporation? There are pros and cons. If you try to take out a mortgage as an LLC, there are very different underwriting rules (you will be working with a business loan officer, not a residential mortgage officer). You won't be able to get a 30 year mortgage with 25% down. You will pay a higher interest rate, likely have a 5 year ARM, etc. If you purchase the property in your own name, then transfer ownership of the property to an LLC, then there are also potential ramifications where the lender could technically call the mortgage due (you are violating the terms of your mortgage by transferring ownership). It would be unusual for a bank to call the mortgage due if you are paying on time, but if interest rates go up like crazy, it would be in their interest to do exactly that and force you to refinance at a higher interest rate if you did transfer the deed to an LLC. Accounting is also more complicated.
(Big caveat: I'm not a legal expert by any means) Forming a corporation may offer some liability protection, but if you are essentially a sole proprieter, and especially if your paperwork, accounting, don't prove that the corporation is a separate entity, then you can be sued personally ( google "Piercing the LLC shield" or "piercing the corporate veil")
I'm not sure what a score agency is.
As for an accountant... The accounting is fairly complicated until you get a handle of the nuances. You can certainly do it yourself if you have a good, current resource to walk you through everything - How to calculate depreciation on the dwelling, purchases, renovations, limits on passive losses, dealing with depreciation recapture when you sell, etc. If you don't feel that you have gained the knowledge to fully understand these issues, then you should have an accountant. Even with an accountant, you'll still need to do a lot of accounting.