He is a realtor that I previously purchased a small portfolio from and therefore had a good professional relationship.

You’re able to learn the basics of a real estate investment with lower risk and build equity at the same time.Because you're in the military, you'll be able to enter a property with 0% down which means you can leverage your money way more effectively. 

By exploring options for cost-effective utility usage, such as installing low-flow fixtures and implementing irrigation systems, we can significantly save on water expenses.To keep things running like a well-oiled machine, you’ve got to have a rock-solid asset management plan.

I had a “lender” tell me he’d give me a personal loan with a fixed 4% rate on a 30 year term at whatever amount I wanted because he would like to “build a relationship” with me. 

If you can make some relationships prior to that with agents in the area who do what you want to, you can find yourself on a team or at a strong brokerage that matches what you want to do.

Investors often equate initial cash flow with long term cash flow but the historical relationship is poor.  

Establish a relationship with an investment-friendly realtor. 

It was listed by a realtor that I previously purchased a small portfolio from and therefore had a good professional relationship.

You have a skillset that could be extremely useful for quick fixes and landlord issues and from there you can bridge relationships and partnerships to enhance your knowledge of real estate investing and couple your skills.

This fosters a top-down management approach that ensures accountability and efficiency throughout the property.As I've earned from my own experiences, the difference between a good operator and a poor one lies in effective asset management.