And For Brandon it would take him all day to drive and take a Ferry I can pick him up and be there in 30 minutes  .. got to love the time machines....

Just be wary that playing spreads in such a market is often like a game of hot potato.

Are there any seasoned wholesale investors willing to school me to the game?

Using leverage or other peoples money (OPM) is the name of the game.

Those that know how to "play the game" can drag things out for 2-3 months before you get your property back!

Another thing that comes to mind is learning to spot which tenants will be problem tenants before purchase, and prepare a game plan throughout the year-whether self-managing or managing the managers.  

If you have the cash, why not just use your current cash that you were going to pay off mortgage 1 with and use it for whatever your end game is? 

Possibly become licensed, it's a pretty cheap way to get in the game and then you can make some side money and be an asset to local investors.5.

I highly recommend starting with the beginner's guide and the podcasts but that's what got me into the real estate game, so I am a bit biased.

first of all - congrats that you are actively looking and ready to pull the trigger on your first RE investment.I didnt see what the end game is?