If you'd rather gamble tens of thousands of dollars on the same information you could get here or from reading books and taking action yourself just to feel like you've better earned your knowledge or have put in more somehow that's your perogative.

@Randy King,Get you a good insurance policy and forget about all the books and snake-oil salesmen.

Any general advice or links to articles/books/podcasts you've found especially helpful would be appreciated!

You have selected a great area.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.

Read, read, and read some more -  along w/the some of the books recommended by Bigger Pockets and other users, I'll recommend below two that I've found significantly beneficial even though I've been investing for 12+ years."

Anyone Recommend any good books on Wholesaling?

Also I like the videos, Im a fan of the jump cuts with the editiing :p

Buying your dream home is like picking up your local real estate book, contact the realtor.

I've also read a couple of real estate investing books to soak in more info.

Scott The Book on Flipping Houses,The Book on Estimating ReHab Costshttp://www.biggerpockets.com/flippingbookLocate and attend 3 different local REIA club meetings great place to meet people gather resources and info.