You don't have to hit home runs, just get in the game. 

I once went to camp and had a 3 guys ask "what's your favorite video game".

The best way to do that is to establish a baseline to gauge off of. 

I was wondering how could I get in to the real estate game.

Many new investors start off "too hot" and end up overdeveloping their first property or spending their money too fast - either of these behaviors will preclude you from achieving even your short-term goals and may knock you out of the game.

Establish list of critical vendors/services with summarized contract info and contact details:- Pest control (termite bonds?)

You didn't say what the price point was, but 20% down would generally be adequate skin in the game and enough to cover repairs if you end up getting it back. 

At the same time my short term goals are to get established and gain some experience in whole selling.

Buying old listings is like mining any lead source, it's a numbers game.

Better to have the legal framework in place by a knowledgeable professional with zero skin in the game, than to have an ambiguous setup that costs several thousands to unravel.