., books, courses, biggerpockets pro membership, etc.) but don't actually begin investing in real estate until next year, will I still be able to deduct those expenses for this tax year?  

Get the membership, attend all the general meetings, and the subgroups that interest you.

you get a discount on the pro membership after you watch a webinar.

I've found some groups that don't require paid membership so I am checking those out first.

Basic membership "plans" start at around $149/month; plus memberships at around $198/month...which is really the starting point.

@Amanda Morrison you should get your pro membership and post this opportunity in the Marketplace tab.

Lots of great local groups around, each with pros and cons:TRIG: meetups (zoom) once/month, paid membership, tons of local rooted investorshttps://www.trigofva.com/Hampton Roads Investor Group: Free, hosted by investor agents at 1st Class Real Estatehttps://www.facebook.com/group...Hampton Roads Landlord Associtaionhttps://www.meetup.com/HRLandl...

First time using rental property calculator on here just got the plus membership.

All can be found in North Jersey.http://joshwa.com/njresn-membership-2/http://www.meetup.com/New-Jersey-Real-Estate-Inves...http://howtobearealestateinvestor.com/investment-c...

Also, check out the local REIAs in the cities you mentioned and see if they might be worth joining and getting a membership.