Buy a duplex first! You will be able to leverage yourself to buy a better property than you would normally qualify for, and you can put the minimum down. If you buy a single family thentry to buy investment properties you will likely need a larger down payment. In addition to this, you will save a large amount of money over the two years. You can owner occupy one half for a few hundred per month vs the $1000 to $1500 or more that you pay for a single family. Listen to any financial expert I.E. Dave Ramsey and they will speak about controlling your expenses, which your biggest one is your housing expense. I have helped dozens of buyers do this, and it's been hugely successful either changing a persons financial future, or spring boarding them to million dollar portfolios.
