Plan to learn about the laws related to the approach that you take. My suggestion is to take classes at community colleges near you. There are probably classes which people take prior to applying for a real estate license. You can take them too. Read books on real estate investing.
Most RE books are mediocre.
A few are good. Almost none are excellent. But, you can still learn if you read them. Talk to other, more experienced investors. See if there is a local real estate investors group that meets once or twice a month.