Make sure you look into local investment clubs to get started on networking and further your education.  

There are plenty more resources you can find under Education from how to's, blogs from our experts and podcasts.  

Scott The Book on Flipping Houses, The Book on Estimating ReHab Costs http://www.biggerpockets.com/flippingbookCouple good reads 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 FieldYou might consider Niche or Specialized Housing like student housing.

Make sure to check out Education for all your REI learning.

I am a finance professional and my goals in the first 12-18 months are to educate myself in this field and gain the confidence to get into buy and hold residential real estate investing-- at least that is what I think I should be doing (for now). 

@Sim Peyron,Good for you on starting your education business, reaching out to build your real estate network, and be willing to sacrifice "trading up" on a personal residence to put your cash into properties that MAKE you money instead.

Marty Baum rocks and keeps his classes entertaining and educational.

Keep reading and learning, education is the key and no one can take it away from you.

I think these guys can give me the info I need to make educated offers on mold houses. 

Rental market is strong here...I frequently have people calling to see if I have any vacancies.It would scare me to invest out of my area, but I guess that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it.