Odd Living Situation... Need Help Getting Started

[Adam Hicks]

Hello all,

I am new to the site and I am looking at buying property as an investment with my wife of 6 months.  We currently travel for work... I am in construction management and she has followed me to Texas and taken an awesome travel nursing position.  Neither of us own a home and never have.  We both receive per diems with our salaries and live in an apartment in Houston for the duration of my current project.  We are both debt and nearly expense free and have a good chunk of savings between us, some of which my wife has earmarked for her Masters.  When this project is over we will pack up and move to the next one, though we won't know where that is for some time.  Our current plan is to complete one more project (while she works a travel position in the same area) and then move back to Louisville where she can start school and we can settle down.

My question is this;  Given our situation, what would everyone think a reasonable course of action is as far as acquiring our first property.  We are looking at SFHs and have made an offer but to no avail.  It seems reasonable to me to go ahead and buy a house to rent, then buy a home for us to live in when we move back or when a deal comes along that makes good financial sense.  The current plan was to buy the first house as a primary residence since we don't currently own.  I assume we would have to convert this when we do settle down and buy a house that we will live in.  I would want to keep acquiring properties but don't want to screw up our prospects of receiving a decent mortgage on our residence once we purchase it.  If anyone could offers some suggestions to consider it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Adam