My wife does not work and we have a good amount of "stupid" debt (credit cards/hospital bills/student loans) and not very much in savings and fair credit.

I now realize that I am not a student and thus really have no interest in the higher Ed field but am a damn good "employee".

I'm also a BP podcast listener.I started dabbling in real estate investing in 2011, when I bought two single houses in College Park, MD and rented it to college students (I was a student myself so I knew the area).

It is the advice I give my students that don't have a lot of money to get their business going.

Neighborhood demographic: will you be renting to students around a university (generally higher rents but more turnover), young professionals, or families?

Also, I've been hearing a lot about "good debt" and mortgages and everything and I'm a bit afraid of any of that because I already have student loans to pay off...

RPI in Troy is a respected university with serious engineering students who won't trash your apartments, according to one of my clients who also owns buildings in Troy.  

We manage a ton of student rentals and are getting great returns.

I am a student at SFA and am looking into getting my first property soon.

It would primarily be renting it out to college students at Binghamton University.