First Time Home Buying Advice

[Kelvin Funes]

Hello all,

I have been listening to Bigger Pockets for a couple months. I am excited to get started in investing, but first, I would like to settle into a house in North Jersey. 

I live in a 1 bedroom apartment in North Jersey with my girlfriend and soon to be 3 year old son. We have been looking at houses since August ranging from 330k-400k but unfortunately have not found the one yet. We're comfortable putting 20% down on our first house with enough reserves to start a small investment out of state. I've looked at multi-family houses, fixer uppers, and also thought about house hacking in North Jersey but have not found any good deals due to high taxes. Any friendly advice for a young family starting out?