Newcomer looking to generate passive income

[Widny Fegond]

Hi, I am a young newbie looking to generate passive income through real estate investing. I've been reading some books on this topic, but I am having trouble making the next step. I live in New York, and the market is too high to be profitable. So out of state real estate investing is the best option for me, I have narrow my search to Durham, NC, Fort Worth, TX, and Pittsburgh, PA.  I need advice on information about these areas. Also, I know a couple of people that are still working and decided not to pay there monthly rent due to the coronavirus crisis. My question is if it is a good idea to buy a rental property now or wait until this crisis blows over.