"For Sale" Sign questions for a newbie!

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Hello everyone!

My name is Joba and I am a current insurance analyst for a mortgage firm in Manhattan looking to start my investments within RE. I'm completely new to the field outside of my daily job and consider myself a noob, but at the same time very much eager to land my first deal transaction. After many networking events, seminars, online courses, etc I do believe the time is now to start. It is my wish to start with a small buy and flip project and then move on from there, where I eventually build on buy and hold properties. 

Walking around my suburban-feel neighborhood in queens (B market), I have come across one or two properties with "For Sale" signs that I see as potential buys. They are being sold through real estate agents so I am getting ready to call but would like suggestions on how I should go about those conversations. What exactly should I ask with my initial call? What should I be looking for to get the best deal possible? Should I find a more experienced partner to help with the transactions? My plan is to use a hard money lender. Does that effect anything with properties that have for sale signs?

Just some questions that I would love if someone could guide me through so that I know I am doing things the correct way. Again as mentioned before, if partnering with an experienced investor sounds like the better option please do not be afraid to contact me!