How should I go about my start to investing for the long term?

[Justin Dixon]

So I have done a lot of research as well as been to a few seminars but I haven't be able to find any real estate investors in my local area. So next week I'm going to make the 2 hour drive to the closest REIA. Hopefully I will meet someone there who will be will into show me a few things in return for me adding value to them whatever that may be, such as a free intern, free tech support (in the last yea of getting a computer science degree) or just free labor worker for there properties. But the one question I have is that I'm only 21 and want to do buy and hold investing for the long term because I love my current IT job but I also love real estate as well. Should I go out and buy my first house and live in it for a year then try to rent it out? Or should I buy it, rent it out then continue to live in my condo I live in now?