Options for investing without a W-2 job and a little money.

[Lukas Smith]

I'm 25 and currently living in Pennsylvania. I dove into educating myself on REI about 6 months ago and set a goal for myself to buy my first property by the end of 2021. Unfortunately, (or maybe fortunately) I am leaving my W-2 job in about a month and moving back to Iowa where I am originally from to start my own business.

I am wondering if my goal is still achievable and what my options are without a W-2 job? I have enough saved for a small downpayment of ~3-5% which was my gameplan originally but will have reduced and potentially inconsistent income for the near future. I am sure there are ways around this such as having a co-signer on a loan or using private money but am not sure if there are additional ways I'm not aware of. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

Lukas