So I hope to hear from some more experienced members!

Focus your education on investing in a tight market (for the time being) and build a good team that will still be around after a turn in the market.  

I had to do that when i  started in the State a Year ago...Building a team I can trust  in the Cities I work in  had to be no I for me...Love my teams have visited most of them by now and am so happy with my choices  some are well on the way to becoming life long friends..ps even with spell check hate typing  love chatting and meeting new people

read  a lot there is great info here on the site... talk to a lot of people learn from there mistakes so you dont have to make them your self...I work in your area can be more then happy to chat with you..build a team around you  that you trust   .. 

This assumes you are using hard/private money and paying commissions to an agent.To a person, the experienced rehabbers we know who can't find a decent deal, will just sit on their money until they find a viable property.

I wouldn't say that I am extremely experienced, but I have don't a few deals, and since you are only looking for the first deal, I think I can shed enough light for you.From the time I decided that I was going to be a REI, to the time I was signing a contract with a seller was about 4-5 months.

Let's help each other out and hopefully build a team!

I first hand experienced people screwing me and learned to deal with people like that.

If you are available, I would love the help of an experienced person.

Their "record" would never stand up to anything resembling investigation2- Half the gurus are not real estate people at all; they are unsuccessful actors fronting for a seminar company.3- The basics of successful investing in real estate have not changed in one hundred years.4- Learning, understanding, and experiencing the basics of real estate finance, real estate law, and property management will provide the foundation for a successful investing career.