New investor. Here are my goals, and would appreciate advice!

[Abdalla Nur]

I want to start investing in real estate and need some advice. First a little about myself and investment goals:

- In my 30s, married with two kids
- Living in Columbus OH
- Software developer, run a small technology consulting firm
- Never owned a home
- Have $175k I can deploy towards first purchase now or $250k by summer
- Non-leveraged acquisitions only
- Time is scarce so any investment must be passive
- Focus on rental properties and willing to hold for 10-20 years

I know there is a lot to learn, and I have started reading some books. That said, there's nothing like getting advice specific to your situation from others more experienced in the field. Now to my questions:

1. Is there a particular property type that I should consider given my goals and preferences?
2. Are there particular areas or property classes that may be more suitable to consider?
3. We thought of buying a primary residence, but we will likely leave Columbus in the next couple years although we may return (a lot of unknowns). What factors should we keep in mind if we want to purchase a property that can meet both objectives (primary residence and a rental unit), not necessarily at the same time?

[Brandon Goldsmith]

Congrats on getting started. Like some of the others said I would focus on a primary residence first. Since you are local to Columbus, you could even drive around some of the more appreciating areas to get a feel for them and possibly look into multifamily there. Best of luck! @Abdalla Nur