Normally I lurk forever, but about 11 mo ago I too got my first guitar so I feel like I should chime in. I also had a start with music - about 7 years of very casual experience making electronic stuff in trackers and DAWs. Decided since I like metal a lot, I should try guitar. So far it has been totally awesome, and I hope it turns out similarly awesome for you.
For gear, I picked up a cheap, chinese made LTD for $400 and a Line 6 UX1. After I figured out the basics, I discovered they sounded way better than I expected, and to this day I'm still happy with the pair. And the guitar is very pointy and black so it's super inspiring and I adore it despite it's cheapness. I wouldn't lick the paint though.
I also live in an apartment and have some very nice, quiet neighbors who seem to be home almost all the time, so I almost always practice on (monitor) headphones. I've also played on a friend's Marshall half-stack at loud volumes. They certainly don't sound the same, but I didn't feel like my technique needed any adjustment. If I were practicing for a serious live show, I would not trust using such a different setup from the live setup, but that's a different story.
Also, youtube is awesome. That Justin Sandercoe guy has a ton of technique-focused videos that I only sort of skimmed, but I still learned a lot from them. I also skimmed through Paul Gilbert's instructional videos and recordings from clinics he's done, also very informative. And there's tons of other stuff like that on there. youtube even has lots of concert videos to get you in the mood to practice
