Assuming you have an appropriate emergency fund, do contribute at least enough to get the match from your employer, as many have pointed out, that is FREE money.

This saved me lots of repair expenses and time to respond to emergencies.

I am also starting formal learning for RE license exam.Wanted to request some assistance in knowing good / emerging areas for my first investment property (3/4Bed) costing 100-300k with decent possible cash flow.

You may want to look at alternative investments if you can tolerate a certain amount of risk.Emergency reserve: Prior to using money for investments or extra mortgage payments, make sure you have a sufficient emergency reserve.Expert Advice: Speak with a financial advisor who can offer tailored guidance according to your objectives, risk tolerance, and financial status.Even if paying off your mortgage sooner might result in interest savings, it's important to evaluate your entire financial situation and take liquidity and prospective returns into account when making investment decisions.

I’m just curious on how some of you pros would start out if you had a stable dual income household $135k/yr, a 3 month emergency fund, and 15k saved up.

I told my sons about this so that they know what to do in any emergency. 

Rather than syndicating the equity as you're starting up, you might find a path forward in a JV structure with one of the emerging REPE groups that are already raising discretionary funds in this sector - Happy Camper Capital comes to mind - IF you find the right deals and combine them with a strong business plan + reasonable co-invest (typically 10% of the equity required - JV partner puts up the other 90%). 

Do you have an emergency fund?

These might include creating an emergency fund, paying off debt, saving for a home, or investing for retirement.Prioritize the creation of an emergency fund.

The only exception is if it was a super small job like sub $200.We do this because he will drop almost everything to help us, and two we want a reputation with our contractors that we pay our contractors in full and in a timely manner once they have completed a quality job.We use the same folks for most jobs and they will push other jobs out of the way or come out on emergency calls.