20y/o looking to get into REI. Where to start?

[Robert B.]

I am currently working a retail sales job making 25k a year and I have been trying to move my way up into commissioned high end home theater sales where I could make between 60-100k working 50-60 hours a week.

I thought about doing those high end sales until I have around 200-300k saved up and in my off time from now until then learning about real estate and how to invest in it. Then when the time comes I have money for down payments and mortgage payments.

From what I have been seeing is instead of banking up that 200-300k taking about 5 years to get there, I can just soak up a bunch of knowledge and experience for a year or two and get money from the bank and rent out houses and flip them, which would save me from working my but off in sales just for that 60-100k job.

I currently have 0 debt and about 2 years of credit history, 750 credit score, and 5k saved up at the moment, I had to pay for 2 years of college that sort of took most of the money I have been making.

I have been reading articles online and such but my question is, what kind of books/podcasts should I be reading or listending to in order to broaden my horizon on REI and renting out RE?

The great thing is I now can get up to 3.5k a semester paid for through my work, I go to a community college so classes are pretty cheap any ways.

Should I try to major or take classes around Business/Eco/Financing?

What would you all recommend I do?