How did you get started in real estate investing?

@Andy Ptak when jumping into the industry you have a few choices:1) Start at the bottom2) Leverage your experience to convince someone to give you a chance3) Decide between:--- Big companies who will usually start you at the bottom--- Small companies that will more like to a chance on hiring you for an above entry level position.

You have an excellent jump start- the VA loan is such an amazing tool to get the ball rolling.

Engage an investor-focused realtor/broker in your preferred market (this is not a residential realtor) and start 'tire kicking' the market and properties that fit your criteria.

I have been reading the online resources about getting started, searching the market, and even doing tours, but I am hesitant to jump in and buy a house as I have quite a large amount of student debt.

Over the course of using Bigger Pockets I have had very degrees of opinions on who I should vote for concerning a post.When I first started using Bigger Pockets, I was too naïve to even think of voting for someone that took the time to answer one of my post.  

Leaving out auction and foreclosure costs for a second, when you write that check for $220k the trustee is going to pay BigBadBank the $175k they are owed first, then he's going to pay LittleBadBank the remaining $45k, and you will get a clean title as the process is going to wipe the slate clean.

I recently moved to Barcelona with my gf and two dogs and we are considering starting our real estate journey with our first investment property either in Barcelona or Valencia.

I want to make sure I screen tenants properly, but I am not sure where to start.

You have started your journey in the right place.