I'd advise to find a city that YOU think has potential, where there seem to be numerous deals to be had, and start gobbling up properties there like they're going out of style.

I teach investors and agents classes on what to look for and evaluate a property based on the COC first for sure.

I have had dozens of conversations with newbies who are just starting out and have been convinced by a YouTube video, book or guru course that teach them that not only is wholesaling legal, but that it's a fantastic way to get into REI with little or no money. 

You will find 1000 different investing styles and it is crucial for you to come up with what you are comfortable with

There are some training classes that teach how to do it for the QC province.

There is really no need to waste time doing due diligence on a private lender hitting you up online offering 5% interest on a hard money style loan. 

Folks pushing for "no money down" are going to teach you how to do it for some money down.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with them and I think they do exactly as you say--teach newbies the fundamentals, take away a lot of the risk, etc.

Same style / bedrooms / bathroom / year build / square footage within a few miles from your target property.  

Largely, that's because I love the style of the house and it was fun to bring back to life.