College Real Estate Investor Seeking Guidance

[James G.]

Hello my name is James Gleeson and I am an Engineering student at Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla MO. I am currently in Waterloo IA interning with John Deere and I began to find out the cubicle life is not for me. This summer, I have done hours on top hours of research regarding real estate investing, and I would like to make my first investment next semester of college. The only problem is that I have never seen the process first hand, and the only knowledge I have is from Google, biggerpockets, and a lot of books. If there is any one out there who could give me advice or guide me through this process I am 110% committed. Should I buy a single family in my college town, should I purchase commercial? Do I need a property manager if it is just a house? How do I go about getting the documents and leasing agreements for my tenants? How often should I check my property? Do I need a book keeper and a lawyer too? Any advice for a newbie? Once again I really appreciate any help I can get. Thank you very much