New to Real Estate Investing

[James Shumpert]

Hi my name is James and I'm from New Britain, CT. I'm new to this site and real estate investing. I joined this site to find some ideas on how real estate investing works. I've been hearing from a lot of different places about investing into real estate with no or low money down and also that I should buy real estate in my own local area first. My problem is I don't know where to start. I want to talk to the owners of different houses in my area, but I'm not sure of what to say.

Where to start?

Should write something out first, like a contract?

What to look for when investing into a home?

Should I invest in commercial real estate or residential first?

Do I need an Attorneys for anything at the beginning of a deal if the owner agrees to the deal?

Who are brokers and do I need them?

I have so many questions to ask. Please help.