Searching for advice in Jacksonville, FL.

[Christopher Merrow]

Hello everyone. I am new to this community and I live in Jacksonville, FL. I contacted my local Better Business Bureau in hopes of locating a mentor, but I was unable to do so because they stated they do not provide any services of that kind. I know Jacksonville has a REI community and I plan on joining the beginning of next year, but I was wondering if anyone had any other suggestions. I am currently employed by the government and I am planning on purchasing my first piece of real estate in 2017 while spending the remainder of this year and 2016 studying and preparing myself as much as I can. Any advice for books or anything similar is also appreciated.