@Account Closed sounds like you've got a good plan man! I think I can help with a couple of your questions:
1) This is a process. You've got to do your due diligence (I think there's a beginner's guide on the site for this). You'll want to do a title check, inspection of the property, check if there are any liens against the property, etc. etc... Just do a Google search or BP search and you'll find a lot of templates.
2) If you find a property that interests you, contact the seller to schedule a meeting and start the due diligence process or even start to gather information over the phone such as year built, square footage, beds/baths, etc. etc.
3) The mortgage payments are fairly accurate but not the best source to use. I recommend going in to talk to a banker (or calling over the phone) to see what rates are like in your area (although they are pretty standard across the country).. This will give you the best estimate to run your numbers.
Hope this helps get you started! Let me know if there's anything else I can help out with.