I am by no means an expert, but I learn by jumping in with both feet and have plenty to offer as well as tell you what not to do.

I am still trying to figure out a good way to get into those meetup groups and what not, I just don't know where to start!

While I wholeheartedly agree with what both Micheal & Ed mentioned about the benefits of having a license - I personally know a lot of wholesalers/investors who stay away from the license because more is expected from agents (disclosures and due diligence processes & what not) and a lot of investors want to focus on the part of business they are good at (like marketing, finding deals...etc) without expanding the scope of what they work on.Access to the MLS is one of the main reasons a license is a good idea, however keep in mind that it takes some work to get licensed and some work to keep the license after you get it (you'll have to continue your education with few courses a year), plus a little bit of money every month to get the access.

@Kyle Grimm first, figure out what not doing the bookkeeping is worth to you as long as you are getting timely and accurate reports on a monthly.

I am able to see what to do and what not to do before ever touching a property.  

A good lesson of what NOT to do!

Keep in mind that this would just be to get cash so that i can eventually start buying my own rental properties and what not.

It's amazing how complicated financing can get with seasoning rules and what not.

I hope to hear from all of you seasoned investors on what to look for and what not to look for for our first investment property.

We were managing west coast properties from the east coast and Italy at one point and it taught us a lot about what to do and what not to do.