New Investor looking for connections and learning opportunities

[Andrew Pierson]

Hi everybody! I am brand new to real estate investing and I am currently living in North Jersey at the moment. I am passionate on getting my first house that I can turn into a rental property. My plan so far is to go through the first time home buyer program to get down payment assistance and to live in the property and house hack. I just graduated college from Rowan University and I love the market down there in Glassboro and would like to connect with anyone that can hook me up with that area. Other markets I am currently looking into are:

- Northeast Philadelphia

- East Strasberg PA

- Camden, NJ

- Hackettstown NJ

- Pawley's Island SC

When it comes down to the other markets I live near Hackettstown at the moment so that would be the closest market near me that has potential. I may also be moving to Northeast Philadelphia within a year or so and if anyone here can connect me with great minds to talk about that market I would really appreciate that. I am also very interested in the student rental strategy so I included East Strasberg PA as a market I am considering. I am also a Civil Engineer so my mind wanders to Camden and how they are improving the infrastructure around it and there are big projects in the works to better connect the city to Philadelphia. Lastly, my family wants to buy a second home in Pawley's Island that they can do short term rentals for so I decided I would help by doing the leg work for them. 

I have saved up a good amount of money and from what I heard from my father who is a mortgage lender and my friends and family tied into real estate was that I should wait until next year to jump into the market. I would like to hear what bigger pockets members would say to that. Lastly, any tips or pointers to point me in the right direction would be great!