Where to start as an 18 year old aspiring investor?

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Hi everyone,

I’ve been a active reader/listener of BiggerPockets forums, podcasts, books etc, for a little while now but have yet to make my first post here.

I am 18 years old and living in San Francisco, looking to get into real estate investing.

I have a ton of questions but some of the most nagging ones are the following:

- Would it be easier as a young person with a lower income/credit history to buy a property cash, avoid any lenders, and then do a cash-out refi/HELOC after the purchase? Is a refinance typically as hard to qualify for as a loan?

-Would it be impossible to find a lender that would lend to someone with low income and minimal credit history even if I could prove a sufficient net worth/ amount of liquid assets?

-Do lenders give wiggle room on lending requirements if I were able to offer a down payment of 30-50%?

-Due to my location in the Bay Area I'm pretty set on out-of-state investing... that being said, do you guys think I should jump in to REI and invest in a SFH rental ASAP, or would it be smarter to wait until i have the funds to invest in MF to get started?

Any input would be very much appreciated!

Desmond