For context, I am a teacher and I love what I do.

Time and hard-knocks are the best teachers.

This person should have a teacher's heart and be able to connect you with the other members of the team you will need like investor friendly contractors, inspectors, lenders, and so on.In your position, and frankly all of our positions, you want to live below your means and have as much free working capital to invest, give to causes you care about, and save for emergencies.Then, look to add income streams by renting rooms to others or spaces for storage-even if you rent. 

Some mentors are fantastic, but some (perhaps many) are not particularly helpful (sort of like how truly great teachers, bosses, etc. are rare, truly great mentors are also uncommon...excellence tends to be uncommon).

Investors trying to do too much themselves--especially outside their area of expertise or experience.Mostly to avoid costly mistakes and to borrow someone else's 10,000 hours.Agree, find yourself an investor friendly Realtor with a teacher's heart in the area you are interested in investing and let them help you avoid costly mistakes and add value to you and your return on investment.To Your Success!

However, I would limit the amount of time you spend on that to knowing just enough to begin (no more than 6 months) then find an investor friendly Realtor with a teacher's heart in the area you want to invest.

High school teacher/investor. 

@AJ LongoHey AJ,  totally agree, sometimes that first out-of-state deal can be the best teacher.

The first property is your best teacher.

Ask whoever is going to teach you if they cover the Following and find a better teacher, if they don’t.