Paying off student debt 1st or GET INVESTING!

[Brittany Olofsson]

I currently have student loan debt of $70k that I am trying to focus and pay off completely within 3 years. Then my plan is to start investing. My question to experienced people is should I focus on paying off this debt first then investing or would you recommend I take longer to pay off loans but also save for my first 20% down. I am 37 years old and excited to get started but also want to make the smart responsible decision.  I would  greatly appreciate everyone's thoughts. Thank you very much. 

[Theresa Harris]

This question comes up often.  Your debt will restrict how much you can borrow.  At the same time, if you are able to get a mortgage with low interest rates and your student loans are also at a low rate, you may be better off investing.  Your tenants will pay down your mortgage and you can use some of the money from the rental to either help pay down your student loans faster or save to buy another property.