I want him to be my eyes and ears on the ground, learn the trade and invest if he is comfortable.Once i narrow down on few properties, will fly down and decide.

They are acting as an agent without the laws, ethics requirements, education, and insurance that are vital IMO.If they do NOT own the property or are not licensed they are operating as unlicensed brokers which is a 3rd degree felony in Fl. I

In the current environment, houses are flying off the shelves, so to speak.  

I do not mind paying for a good class but i want to make sure it is actually a good class that will propel me forward whether its here in Houston or even online, or even if i have to fly somewhere to get a good basic understanding of doing deals, dealing with homeowners, pitching to investors, and closing the deals.  

Sounds like you are operating your business with a "fly by the seat of your pants" approach.

So with regard to wholesaling and lease options, I keep hearing that the strategy of having a signed purchase agreement or option contract with little or no earnest money in order to gain "equitable interest" in a property will no longer fly in Florida (and some other states). 

Good Morning All,In about a year I would like to start my real estate investing by financing (FHA) an owner occupied duplex in Palm Beach County, FL.  I

Fly out to Cali @Matthieu Benoot and I'll take you to one of our job sites and give a quick and dirty run down

Certain banks have certain "no-fly" zones, I got a hard "no" recently on a great property because the loan committee won't take anything built pre-1990....go figure.  

LOL but that is mostly because they have advice flying from every which way but the right way!