Hey Bigger Pockets community!

I'm a new investor here in Las Vegas, NV. I've been here since I got stationed here in 2005 from Japan and got out of the USAF in 2006. I was a Realtor and sold REO properties from 2006 -2010 here in Vegas and then went back to school to use my GI bill and now I'm a software engineer working remotely for a company out of Denver,CO. I travel out to Denver every so often due to work and was shocked to see how high the real estate prices have gotten there over just the last few years! That got me back interested in real estate, but this time as an investor and not an agent.

I'm from a small town in southern Mississippi where real estate is still pretty cheap to buy but the rental amounts have started to get up to par with rental rates here in Vegas. I've been thinking about purchasing a duplex out there for quit some time, but years ago I either didn't have to income to come up with the downpayment, or the credit to qualify. Now I have the income to do so and I'm saving up a downpayment and I've been working on my credit for some time as well and it's the highest it's been in 10 years. I want to get ingrained in this community to insure that I make as few mistakes as possible when it's time to pull the trigger in a few months. 

I moved up to the Providence area of northwest Vegas from Summerlin and rented for the last year and half. My lease is up in July and I will have a purchasing decision to make in a couple of months. I do have questions about how purchasing an investment property can affect my ability to purchase a primary residence around the same time.