New to the market. unsure about first deal

[Luke Davis]

Hi everyone, I'm 24 years old and i have about 15k to put into real estate & good credit i live in northeast pa and i would like my first deal to be within reasonable distance from me. I found a duplex and other deals i would like to pursue but don't wanna split or live in a side and a lender i talked to so far wants 25% for conventional loan. Rentals is where i would like to be long term. I'm very new to all forms of real estate but I'm handy and capable of many different things. i still work my normal job 50 hours a week. Should i continue to search for a lender or bank that will work with me or take a step back and look for a flip to build myself some capital? Just looking for the best way to get started. thank you