To begin, learn all you can by reading books, listening to podcasts, checking websites, and joining groups like REIAs.

I just finished listening to Norada Real Estate Investments' @Marco Santarelli discuss out-of-state investing at the Think Realty conference in Baltimore.  

Hello, I think it’s really awesome that you’re just now beginning and you are already coming to the forums to learn so the first thing you need to do is to continue to stay on the forms and you also need to be reading all of the bigger pocketbook and start listening to their podcast to soak up as much knowledge as you can and as long as you do that, you will have all the knowledge you need to start and regarding your question I do not advise to buy a single-family house just to live in it without a rental property aspect so it’s OK if you want to live in the house as well but you will have to either get a multifamily property or you could also buy a single-family home and rent out the other rooms  now see when you have a property that you use just for your family then you have to pay the mortgage every month which is building your equity, but that responsibility is solely on you whereas if it has some sort of rental property aspect, there will be other people helping you build that equity if you were to buy a property just for yourself that is something that will be taking money out of your pocket every month while as a rental property if you buy right will be putting money in your pocket every month the only exception to what I just said is if you buy a property for yourself or just for your family to live in, you could do a live-in flip to where as you’re living in the property you rehab it while your living there and if you buy right with enough knowledge, then when you turn around to sell the property, you will make profit

If a client does ask me while present at an inspection however, I would give him a verbal ballpark because I listen to construction podcasts and can point them to where that guess comes from.

I just listened to the latest episode of the BiggerPockets OG podcast where the guest was referencing conventional investment loans with a 15% LTV.

I don’t listen to any of that crap any more.

I would also take a listen to the BP podcast episode 780 with Jesse Vasquez he's got a great approach to MTRs and targeting traveling nurses and doctors. 

Just read the threads on here and listen to people talk past each other.

LISTEN TO THE EXPERTS!!

My thought is choose a higher income, high quality tenant especially in CA and don't listen to any sob stories (not 100% foolproof but reduces the risk).