My plan for the next few months

[Stephen Spradley]

Hello all, I wanted to put my plan on the table for you guys and get some feedback and advice. I have never invested in real estate (let alone owned a home), and have really just been reading and researching for almost a year, as well as coming on these forums every now and then with questions. My apartment lease is up in April, and I am wanting to acquire a duplex and rent out the other part to hopefully live for much cheaper than my 1,000 dollar single bed and bath apartment that I am in now. I will most likely end up using my VA loan and going from there. In preperation, I plan on trying to see what I can get pre qualed for, so I know what price range I can work with. I have been using Zillow to look around for them but can only seem to find a few in my surrounding area (Fort Collins, CO) and they are ridiculously expensive compared to buddies I know in other areas who have gotten them, most being in the 350k-400k range. Essentially, what I'm getting at with this post is this... - Given my market, does this seem feesible to some of you more seasoned guys? - Any advice is always welcome - Any recommended resources to help educate myself? - Anybody have experience with the VA loan think it is a better choice than regular financing? I want to thank you guys ahead of time for any feedback or constructive criticism!