I've spent the last week, or so, digging around the site and trying to read through what I could (started with the Ultimate Beginner's Guide, which was a great starting point), and listened to a couple of the podcasts. 

The Ultimate Beginner's Guide is also an excellent start.

Fill in the foundation below.Check out the Start Here page http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere Check out BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginner's Guide - A fantastic free book that walks through many of the key topics of real estate investing.Check out the free BiggerPockets Podcast - A weekly podcast with interviews and a ton of great advice.

Look up the  Bigger Pockets' Ultimate Beginners Guide to Real Estate Wholesaling, and that will give you a good start. 

Ok, now that you have taken your initial step, below are some quick links to get engaged.Since your interest lies in buy and hold, I added the below links for your review while you wait for local connections via networking.http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2013/01/04/how-to-rent-your-house/ (house rental guide)http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2013/02/22/buying-rental-property/ (how to buy a rental property) http://www.biggerpockets.com/startherehttp://www.biggerpockets.com/meethttps://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsHow to Use @Mentions on BiggerPocketshttps://www.biggerpockets.com/ruleshttps://www.biggerpockets.com/inviteshttps://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/categorieshttps://www.udemy.com/biggerpockets-real-estate-investing-course/ (video with 64 lectures and approx 6hrs of material)https://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investing (Ultimate beginner's guide to REI)REI can be very daunting, but, before you go searching for that 1st buy, please take a few minutes to bone up on the tips in link below.https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2014/12/19/real-estate-investing-success-smart-tips/REI books suggested by BPershttps://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2015/11/13/7-real-estate-books-beginner-investors/ (7 absolute must read books for beginner REI)http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2013/04/14/best-real-estate-books/?

There's a lot of great info here, but if you're just getting started, make sure you check out the Ultimate Beginners Guide.  

There's lots of great information here that would help you get started.By listening to the podcasts and reading the ultimate beginners guide which can be found in the learn section, I believe you'll figure out what to do and what not to do, since It's discussing all the avenues of real estate investing.Happy investing!!

I found biggerpockets while searching for the best place for a beginner to start learning and have since started listening to their podcasts as well as reading through the ultimate beginners guide.

Check out BP's Ultimate Beginner's Guide, it helps to form a general foundation in the industry.

Time to build the foundation below.Check out the Start Here page http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthereCheck out BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginner's Guide - A fantastic free book that walks through many of the key topics of real estate investing.Check out the free BiggerPockets Podcast - A weekly podcast with interviews and a ton of great advice.