Any suggestions on research?

[Marie S.]

Hi I'm 26 years old, I'm a Staff Sergeant with 4 years left in the Army. My credit is ok- Nothing to brag about, but nothing to be ashamed of. My savings was nonexistent until a couple of months ago. However, I'm itching to learn the real estate game, but the "For Dummy" books and "Landlording" books are not cutting it.

I want to move into the MF and apartments arena. There's a problem. I don't undstand my loan options. I can't use VA or FHA or any of the others because the buildings that will give the largest ROI or 5+ unit buildings. Also, the 0 down payment option that VA offers is for 4 or less units with owner occupants. The no money down real estate investing books seem like a scam. Where can I learn about the different types of loans that I can get?

Here's the situation: I don't know why, but I'm glued to a building that dropped below the $175,000 mark and it is in a neighborhood where comparable buildings are going for 3 and 4 times the price. No it's not a shortsale or foreclosure just an old owner. (By the way short sales confuse me so I haven't looked at the properties)

I don't have a lot of savings right now. Are there loan options where you pay less than 20% down on an apartment building? I want to have a steady income coming in before I run from under the military safety net I've created.