2 part question from someone just starting out.

[James G.]

Hello all. I am taking in a lot of info from the site but also wanted to get some opinions on two points.

1. Would it be beneficial to get my real estate license when my goals are long term rentals?

2. What is the best way to find a local mentor to help me through my first deal (Finding and executing ?) I am in new York ( Long Island) . I have been considering going out of state, possibly Pennsylvania to find more reasonably priced investments since my nearby areas are rather pricey for my first deal. I have a excellent credit rating and some decent capital to start out.
As always any help will be much appreciated.