What is the best strategy for me to get started in real estate investing?

[Will Stuberfield]

Hello everyone! I'm a 25 y/o looking to get into real estate investing. I'm looking to start a path to financial freedom for me and my family, so I've been doing tons of research but can't seem to put my finger on what's the best route for me. A little background about my financial situation: I currently live with my girlfriend and our child (plus our dog) in a house I bought back in 2020. I was able to get the house with an FHA loan in the Fort Worth area for around $250k and with a ridiculously low interest rate. Currently, the house is probably worth over $350k as some people in my neighborhood with similar houses have been able to sell their homes for similar prices. My goal is to eventually use this house as a rental property, as it's less than 10 years old and the neighborhood has no HOA. I make over $100k at my W2 and my girlfriend makes around $70k at hers. I also have about $45k in stocks. I'm trying to find the best way to get into investing so that we can eventually have a nice portfolio of cash flowing assets, but I'm struggling to get started. Should I use my equity to get started? Should I pull from my stocks? Should I just wait and save until I'm ready to invest? Any ideas would be a lot of help!