should I buy from a wholesaler my first deal?

[Richard Arden]

I'm in the navy stations in pearl harbor. I'm from New York and plan on moving back in 2 years. I hope to make my first deal shortly after "time is money". I'm interesting in buy and holding and house hacking a 2 or 3 family home in Brooklyn Queens or Nassau depending. the market value on homes in these areas vary massively from block to block and most investment opportunities here are off market deals and hard to find. should I find a reputable wholesaler to buy my first deal off of instead of spending months and hours finding the "right deal"?