I've very new at this and I understand the MLS won't be the best place to find deals, so I plan to do more proactive searching and finding a real estate agent ASAP. 

Find an agent who is an investor. go to meetups in your area to get exposed more and network. picking up random properties on Zillow with out knowing all the expenses and repairs isn't the best way to utilize the calculator. you will need accurate numbers to see if you will cash flow. start your search for a property now as sometimes it can take time to find the right one depending the area. get pre approved and go house hunting with a link minded realtor. then you can plug in the numbers into a calculator and see if any will work. best of luck.

I find many like minded individuals and potential partners this way. you need to put yourself out there to find the folks you are interested in meetings. not all meetups are great but continue to search and find the good ones in your area.

I recently purchased a list from listsource,  I selected 3 local towns close to where I live. 

Here are some recommendations for you:Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area: https://www.biggerpockets.com/search/usersSet up keyword alerts to be notified of the topics that interest you: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsRead Beginner’s Guide: http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investingCheck out BP Podcasts: https://www.biggerpockets.com/podcastIf you wish to tag someone in the conversation on the forum, type @ followed by their name and then select the name of that person which should appear below the comments box.

Here are some recommendations for you:Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area: https://www.biggerpockets.com/search/usersSet up keyword alerts to be notified of the topics that interest you: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsRead Beginner’s Guide: http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investingCheck out BP Podcasts: https://www.biggerpockets.com/podcastIf you wish to tag someone in the conversation on the forum, type @ followed by their name and then select the name of that person which should appear below the comments box.

A quick craigslist search for mineral rights brought up this Single Screen theater for sale.

Search recent sales in the area plus the surrounding areas to find any out of state buyers.

Here are some recommendations for you: Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area: https://www.biggerpockets.com/search/usersSet up keyword alerts to be notified of the topics that interest you: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsRead Beginner’s Guide: http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investingCheck out BP Podcasts: https://www.biggerpockets.com/podcastIf you wish to tag someone in the conversation on the forum, type @ followed by their name and then select the name of that person which should appear below the comments box.

I found it while searching auction sites How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?