New investor - to start building a passive income of 5,000$/month

[Barak Shachnovitz]

I am new to BP and new to investing in real estate. I have saved a bit of cash and am looking to buy my first property to rent out - my goal is to build a real estate portfolio that builds my passive income to 5,000$/ month. I live in Israel and I think the best option is to build a rental portfolio, although I am always open to new ideas. 

What I want to know is where is the best to start off? If I am able to put down a down payment of 20% on a 1,250,000$ property or even to buy a few properties is that better than buying something for cheaper and paying out the mortgage faster? Or should I start with a different type of investing in real estate altogether? 

I really appreciate everyones help!

[Joseph Sanchez]

If you are new to rental property investing I would pick up The Book On Rental Property Investing, by Brandon Turner from Bigger Pockets. Having an excellent educational foundation is the only way to start. Ask questions as many as you can before investing. Learn what not to do and avoid the pitfalls that many investors looking to jump into the market make. Until you have read this book twice or even three times I would not invest a dime. That's the best advice I can give you.