Start with BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginners Guide (free).

I'd pay it to start out.

I’m new here and just starting my real estate investing journey this year.I live in NY but am looking to purchase multi-unit properties (4+ units) in a growing market outside of the state.Here are a few concerns I’m working through:As a newbie, is it a good idea to buy a property out of state?

And start feeling people out and figure out who’s real and which one of those you vibe with.

Quote from @Ritu Mahajan:If I were starting out in Chicago today, I would reach out to @Mark Ainley.

I would recommend starting with them to get grounded if you haven't already. 

I recommend reading “Long-Distance Real Estate Investing: How to Buy, Rehab, and Manage Out-of-State Rental Properties” - I found it to be very helpful when I got started investing 2.5 years ago.

Now I've got a property under contract:$78K purchase$35K in development of utilities.$24K in soft costs (permits impact fees etc)$200K (or less) buildout of the house (size tbd on after-build-appraisal) Likely going with 2/2 A frame 1000 sf.

If you use different sources it will be difficult to calibrate the different scores, but think of it as a percentage of the max available score.This particular score seems to be based on an applicant's credit history, including payment history, credit utilization, and credit availability. 

I'm in real estate full time so I'm happy to connect and help you get started.