@Drew Taylor Welcome to BP - I am in a very similar situation as you, minus any REI experience to this point (I have been recently motivated to get into REI as I have been sitting on the sidelines for too long and have always had an interest there).There is a NOVA meetup organized by @Charles Huang every other Saturday at the Wegmen's in Fairfax (https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521-events-an...).  

NoVa is not the place you want to look for from buy and hold perspective.

Does being a licensed agent in nova affect how I can screen my potential roommates?

Virginia is a wide area to cover - NOVA and Southern Virginia are like completely different states.

So far I've been looking to do the long distance thing in Nova Scotia, primarily in a town just outside of Halifax named Dartmouth (also trying to decide if going into the US is an option but that double taxation thing is rough).All that being said, I look forward to being more active with you guys.

The prices there are mind blowing compared to down here in NOVA.+1 (or 2 or 3 or whatever) on the podcasts.

NoVA is a hot and expensive market.

Hello all! 
 I am just now dipping into the real estate investment world after facing the possibility of having to retire due to injury as a Paramedic/Firefighter. I don't have any experience in real estate other the...

I'm a few hours south west of you, but there are others that will likely reach out to you closer to NoVA.

How is it investing in NOVA?