You have No Credit, not enough Rent, want to study Real Estate Investing when you need to concentrate on your JOB and working up your licenses or skills to do what you are doing to make more Money and you have a big family.

You'll need the skills of a landlord and a business owner.

Lack of experience or qualifications, poor communication skills, Inadequate screening processes, lack of transparency in fees and charges, negative reviews, high turnover, lack of proper accounting/financial management and unprofessional behavior to name a few.

I would say that my advice will greatly depend on your goals and what resources you have to invest with (time, money, skills). 

Thanks What would you say your unique skill set is? 

Over the decades I have witnessed how his brain is wired differently and how easily he can "see" problems and with patience and skill fix them properly.

My aim is to not only profit financially but to gain in the process some intangible assets, such as project management skills, getting to know reliable professionals (i.e. realtors, contractors, designers, etc.) for the long-term, getting acquainted with the local market's promises and pitfalls, and basically adding some entrepreneurial muscle going into my next project.My strategy is to go small: find a second-hand apartment in a good location (I don't have enough funds for a GREAT location...); no more than 60-70 m2 (that's about 650-750 f2) to, among other things, lower renovation costs; 1-2 bedrooms, street facing and with a lift (if said apartment is above the second floor); with good bones, i.e., needs only partial renovation.

Your strategy of learning more DIY skills is especially smart in Northern Virginia, where contractors are not cheap!

Like any business it is good to assess one's skill sets. 

You can do it yourself; the process isn't terribly complicated and doesn't require much technical skill, but it is a lot of physical labor, and you'll probably want to get friends to help.