Ready to start just need some pointers!

[Jeremy Cooper]

Hello. I'm 23 years old from a small town in central Louisiana. Wanting to get into real estate. Leaning towards buying a home 2-3 br and renting it out. In this area there's lots of smaller houses and mobile homes all ranging from 20-50k. Need opinions as to should I finance my first buy? Should I keep saving until I can outright pay for it? Should I build a small home? Most renters here are paying 400-800 for these places depending on location and the condition of the home. I've got great credit and money saved so I can go either way. Any advice will help thanks in advance.