Now, you simply have to work on the other elements to progress your REI pursuit.Ok, now that you have taken your initial step, below are some quick links to get engaged. http://www.biggerpockets.com/startherehttp://www.biggerpockets.com/ubghttp://www.biggerpockets.com/meetSetting up Keyword AlertsHow to Use @Mentions on BiggerPockets25 Tips for Real Estate SuccessHowever, this site thrives on interactions and as such we encourage two way exchanges and look forward to educational and thought provoking ideas relevant to REI.

2) Should I set a goal to interact with a specified number of investors who already do the type of deals I'm looking to do?

feel free to interact in the forums, meet some great people, and definitely provide more value to the community by sharing your thoughts, experiences, and of course, success stories!

I also took the plunge and signed up for a pro account - mainly to leverage the calculators.I look forward to interacting with everyone here!

I am excited to learn from and interact with other members!   

Hello Kurt Brauner , welcome to interaction here!

Anyway excited to interact with the community here as I listen to both biggerpockets and biggerpockets money podcasts pretty regularly at work. 

Good tips finding boomer+ folks to hang out with and get to know, Ken.A couple other ways I interact with them is diners in the morning (not Starbucks - a local diner) and at the gym.

Your ability to successfully interact with those that can bankroll your projects is the key.

I look forward to learning all I can and interacting with people on the forums as it seems like there's a ton of knowledge here.