Local Real Estate Groups or Web based Groups

[Stephen E.]

Hello, I am a newbie to Real Estate investing. I would like some advice on where to start and being in the process. My overall goal is to meet a group of like minded people in my area that would like to discuss deals and other information. The downfall I have seen is more REIA groups are located several hours away. I am also interested in groups that can not be tied to a single location but may meet via a web based medium at a regular frequency. Advice?