I might be young but I'm ready

[Walker Snowden]

I am 19 years old and currently going to school for finances. This summer I took the required classes to take the real estate license exam. I plan on having my license by the upcoming fall. I am currently employed by Huntington Bank as a teller and plan on moving up to an investment banker in the future. I am very interested in expanding my investment portfolio into real estate investment. Real estate investing geared towards rental properties. I've been reading a lot and doing the research into the method of "house hacking" and feel it would be a great way to get my feet wet in the industry. I have established the credit and the means to acquire the loan. I would honestly love to start investing by 2017. My question is do you guys feel like I should be trying to get into rentals so young? Should I just keep focusing my money into the market and when I'm older use that investment to purchase real estate? If you feel as if this is a smart path for me to pursue what would be the best way for me to get started, and what advice would you have for me? I would seriously love any words of wisdom of any kind.