New to this and need guidance

[RJ Miller]

I'm thinking about getting into real estate investing to supplement, and eventually replace income from my job. But right now, I'm starting from rock bottom. I do have a plan, though it's rather vague at the moment, and I'd like your opinions.

Right now, I'm going through a bankruptcy as a result of debts from my divorce. All consumer debts, no mortgages or anything. Once that's finished with, I estimate that if I live cheaply, I can put nearly $1000 a month into savings.

Since I'm currently living in a crappy apartment, I'd like my first purchase to be a duplex or triplex where I could live in one unit and rent out the other...but I suspect I wouldn't be able to get hard money for a rehab in that kind of situation.

So, my questions are these:

1. How much cash should I save up before I seriously start looking for deals?
2. Is there any financing means where I could do a rehab and still end up occupying the property?
3. Should I abandon the idea of owner occupancy/landlording entirely for the time being, and just try to get one or two flips under my belt first?
4. Will my bankruptcy be a serious hindrance to all of this?