How early should I look into a property?

[Garrett F Anderson]

Hello investors!

I am in a particular situation.  I have never bought a property before.  I am in my junior year of college at Kent State (in northeast Ohio) and would like to purchase a house this upcoming summer to live in for my senior year.  This house would be a live-in-flip or I would rent out the other units/ rooms if it was big enough or a multifamily.

I'm unsure about several things:

1)  When should I start the buying process?  I am leaving my current apartment at the end of July so when should I start looking at houses/ talking to agents/ etc?

2) I don't have a large amount of cash so should I do an FHA loan so that I can get 3.5% down payment or would another option be better?

3)  As a new investor, what price range should I be looking at?  Should I look at foreclosures or 30K houses or higher?  From your personal experience, how did you get started or what do you recommend?

I appreciate you reading my post.  Any advice is appreciated! Thank you!