Should I wait?

[Manuel Yepez]

Been told to wait for investing in real estate because of my age (19) and my inexperience in even owning a home, but currently homes are selling for $45,000-$75,000 in my area and prices are skyrocketing. I'm building credit, and have some savings, but should I still wait? I'm planning on becoming a buy and hold investor so I feel the earlier, the better. Or is REI only for the folks who have $40,000+ in savings and have a high paying job already with the prefect credit score?