Newbie from Hicksville, Long Island

Hi my fellow investors!!! My name is Alicia and as you can see in my title I am new to real estate investing. I do have a background in property management  but I would love to be more involved in investing. My ultimate goal is to eventually employ a buy and hold strategy where I can later reap the benefits of residual income. I would more than welcome your advice and experiences regarding rental and multi family investing which is my areas of choice.

With that I must say  I would really appreciate your guidance and input on how and where do I start as an investor? It would be a blessing if I came across a mentor in the Long Island area to network with. If there is someone out there please let me know as I am ready and willing to learn.