Go to meet ups in the area, find out all active investors in that market, talk to brokers in the market who have clients looking for capital, attend events that you can network, and look into joining the various communities in real estateGino

Welcome @Rebecca Morris,These are the 10 first steps I would recommend to get started in REI (real estate investing):1) Educate Yourself: Read books, take online courses, and attend seminars about real estate basics, market trends, and investment strategies.2) Set Clear Goals: Define what you want to achieve in real estate—whether it’s buying a home, investing in rental properties, or flipping houses.3) Choose Your Niche: Decide if you want to focus on residential, commercial, or industrial real estate, or perhaps a mix of these.4) Research the Market: Analyze your local real estate market.

I also read daily and attend RE investor training courses regularly. 

while analyzing deals in my buy box in Denver for MTR's.

The market I operate in is Denver CO.  

Quote from @Denver McClure: Hey @Bob Asad, we have several HELOC lenders in our network that cover your area.

Have read many books and attended seminars and dabbled, but finally ready to make my first investment. 

I recently went into a 50/50 LLC with a college friend to buy our first property in the college town we attended.

Question is..where is the next Denver?! 

Even just attending local meetups or Chamber of Commerce events to get acquainted with their crews could be a good way to expand your circle.