Check under the "Education" tab and take a look at the blog posts, podcasts and the guides as well. 

Scott The Book on Flipping Houses, The Book on Estimating ReHab Costs http://www.biggerpockets.com/flippingbookBy the way - here are my favorite articles on Wholesaling: 9 Reasons You Couldn't Find A Buyer For Your Wholesale Deal Don't Start Wholesaling Until You Read This: Wholesale Advice from a Fix and Flipper How to Start Wholesaling: Getting Past The Education and Into the FieldDownload BP’s newest book here some good due diligence in Chapter 10.

There are both good and bad mentor programs and education.

Should I look for a duplex, where I live in one unit and find someone else to rent the 2nd unit, so I can start my investment portfolio or should I just continue to rent until I'm fully educated on Real Investments and then make the transition?

I'd start with a good education basis and identify what areas, type, price, etc fit your criteria.

Other reasons are that FHA usually allows a higher debt-to-income ratio than Conventional, allows a lower credit score, and can have some more flexible underwriting guidelines.It's always best to find an experienced loan officer with a strong product arsenal to help you fit into the best product, and educate you so that YOU can make the right decision. 

I can't get into how this is done in a short post, but if you believe, you can do it by getting more educated.

If anyone has ideas as to how you might move forward from this point, I would be much appreciative to hear and I'm sure it would also be educational.  

Check it under Education.

Good luck at the workshop and let me know if you have any questions once you completed it in regards to local networking, education and networking.Regards,Joe Scorese