I'm starting the with no or little money down book authored by bigger pockets.

Luckily they recommended some good general business books which helped in the next business I started in 07 and still run today, many of the same classic books that BP does. 

You can stub your toes without knowing it :-)That said, there are plenty of books out there on the topic. 

It got me thinking about all the folks that attend conferences, spend time on social media forums, read a ton of books, but sit idle when it comes to becoming an active note investor.  

I would recomend listening to all the BP podcasts or reading as many books as you can till YOU feel comfortable with whatever decision you or direction you come up with. 

I too learned the vast majority of my real estate knowledge though bigger pockets podcasts, forums, and books.

Most local banks aren't in (and don't want to be in) the real estate business and may want to get them off their books sooner than later.

Some of my favorite metrics are % return on money invested. 

"Long-Distance Real Estate Investing" is a great book.

The first step when you are ready meaning you have gained all the knowledge that you are going to get out of webinars,E-Books, seminars etc... is securing the capital you need in order to proceed with your real estate career.