New to real estate investing

Hello everyone, I'm a new investor in the real estate space. We currently reside in Massachusetts but I grew up in FL. As such, I'm currently looking into investing (ideally buy and hold) in either the Orlando or Tampa area. I'd love to learn more about things like: what other options can I consider for liability protection besides an LLC(I haven't met a lender willing to lend via an LLC), what are some gotchas to be wary of,etc. But most importantly, I'd like to connect with other like minded individuals