New Real Estate Investor In Houston Market

[Jorge Quintero]

Hello, Bigger Pockets Forum! 

I am currently an engineer working in Houston that is 22 years old and looking to slowly make the transition from full-time engineer to full-time real estate investor. I want to invest locally in buy and hold rental real estate, where my goal is to achieve financial freedom (making passive income that exceeds 1.5x - 2x my current full time monthly salary) by the time I am 30. I want to start investing in single family homes or small multifamily properties and I have set a goal to buy my first property by the end of 2018!

Since I'm new to Bigger Pockets, and new to real estate, I am learning as much as I can about rental properties and the different avenues I can use to find and close deals. However, I still have a lot to learn and not many connections in the industry. As such I have a couple of questions about the Houston market:

1) With the constant construction, the recent hurricane Harvey destruction, and the influx of people trying to move into the city, what does the rental market look like in Houston?

2) Is the market too competitive for new investors in Houston? Are prices still reasonable enough that a young investor like myself with little capital can get started buying properties soon?

3)What resources exist locally that would prove very beneficial to my real estate journey? Especially since I'm still learning and trying to connect with people in the industry.

Thanks in advance for your help and advice, everyone!