You can browse by region or report type for apartments: http://www.apartmentupdate.com/

I suggest you start here http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investingThis should start getting things going, then spend more time browsing and reading. 

Browse the forums and read anything and everything that sounds interesting to you.

I've been browsing cheap land in the SW(Texas, NM, Ariz).

From browsing this site iv learned a lot about what makes a good real estate investment ie things like the 2 percent rule.In my area (Wisconsin) on the mls i see many deals and i cant understand what people are thinking.for example a 120 year old duplex with 900 a month gross rents for 100k..9% rule for anyone?

(SFHs, MFHs, foreclosures, HUDs,Flipping, etc) you can do this by browsing bigger pockets, YouTube, listening to podcasts, etc2.

After browsing this post and seeing where posters are from it seems like Grand Rapids has done well cultivating a nice group of RE investors.

Also, a lot of the times (at least in my situation -  when properties are rented out and there are no remodeling projects) it's pretty boring and there's nothing to shadow really, other than sitting on the couch together and browsing MLS :)  When there is a deal, things move pretty slow too - negotiations (through an agent most of the time); inspection; financing; closing - that's when the fun begins where you're involved pretty much daily and many hours per day.

With so many resources online to browse through and analyze, even for just a local area, it can be a challenge to not view all enticing opportunities as equal.  

I happened to be browsing the public MLS and saw the property.