I want to make sure this deal is mutually beneficial and I want to sound like a professional (although I'm a newbie) so I will continue to search the BP forums for tips and advice.

If you search book recommendations on the site you'll find a ton (Rich Dad Poor Dad, Millionaire Real Estate Investor, etc...).

I've been searching for my first investment for 4 months now, and boy has it been painful!

i've searched the forums and maybe i missed it, but don't see anything speaking directly to this point. 

Whether it be door knocking or just searching listings for them this can be an amazing way to spark a relationship with someone that is more experienced than you and gain some knowledge on how purchasing properties works.

@Maya TorresWhy not rent on a month to month and start your search when you know the area better?

You can’t diagnose yourself from a google search.

Hey there everyone, My name is Chris, I'm new to the BP community, joined after searching for my next book, which just happened to be  "The Book on Investing in Real Estate with No, and Low, Money Down."

It's in a very desirable area: 1 block from "restaurant row", 1.5 blocks from train stop (BART), 2 blocks from freeway entrance, and 3 miles (15min car ride) from UC Berkeley. 

I believe rentometer only allows a certain number of searches, though.