300k and first time investor (New Jersey)

[Elizabeth Taras]

It’s a tough market out here in New Jersey both with this high market and the high interest rate right now.   
I am selling my current business and will have about 300k that I would like to avoid paying taxes as much as possible on, so I am looking for something to invest in.   My fiance and I are largely interested in the real estate investment world and becoming landlords.    We are curious if it is best to flip a house first to get some more money under our belts, to then go ahead and buy rental properties.  Or should we buy multi family units first, but what if they need some work on them?  What is the best way to start our real estate journey and how can I avoid paying taxes on money from a sale of a business through the use of real estate investing?