We were especially thrilled to start our investing journey with a duplex, and it was even better that the tenants desired to stay and had been consistent with rent for many many years.

Since you're open to markets beyond NYC, you might want to connect with local investor meetups or REI groups in those areas to build relationships with agents, wholesalers, and lenders who understand the nuances of each market.If you're looking to break out of analysis paralysis, maybe start by narrowing down one or two target markets and running numbers on actual deals.

Hi Benjamin,Start by reaching out to relocation companies, insurance housing providers, and major employers in the area who may need temporary housing for executives or displaced employees.

If your goal is to simply take over a property that has a VA loan, you just start making the payments without bothering the lender. 

I read your post a few hours ago and started thinking about. 

BiggerPockets is full of resources designed to help you along your journey, whether you are just getting started or a seasoned investor.

Hopefully you are starting to see these investments as products and they have a set market price.

Can some please help me with a game plan of where to start?

And yes, maybe "be patient and save" is the best move right now, until a good deal comes along.  

Since graduating in 2021, I moved to Washington, DC to pursue a civil engineering career and am now feeling like I am in more of a position to start learning and pursuing real estate investing seriously.