Welcome to Chicago and awesome to see you jumping right into the BP forums.I think you will find this community to be very helpful...definitely keep posting and coming out to the local events. 

The person I am working with is a local and also mentioned that it is a desirable location with low crime. 

I’ll try to look up the one California BP member that was a local expert/proponent and tag him for you if I find his name in an old message, but it’s been a long time. 

Just spend the next 6 months browsing these forums, listening to the podcasts, reading a few books.Then start connecting with local realtors, general contractors, and developers.Post any specific questions you have about the process here in the forums and you'll get answers within a few hours.

I would recommend buying new properties in single purpose LLCs - if you transfer them now you would trigger a transfer tax event unless you put them into a land trust. 

House hacking a duplex or fourplex can be a fantastic way to start building wealth through real estate while minimizing your housing expenses.To invest in real estate, define your investment goals, research potential markets, network with local investors, analyze properties, consider financing options, and perform due diligence.

@Jerry Lakey, you are correct that any leverage = risk due to both less cash flow and possibility of wiping out all equity in the event of any decrease in value.

You may communicate with them via the forums or by sending them private messages.Attend Local gatherings: Find out whether Northeast Florida is hosting any events or gatherings for real estate investors.

Consider building a team of people to guide you for each step (local lender, local realtor, attorney and GC).

Events can be found on BiggerPockets, meetup.com, eventbrite and Facebook.