From my experience, if I had started in real estate right after school, I would have very little network and little to no funds for the RE exam, CE classes, and networking registrations.

Consider starting small, like with a duplex, to get experience.

Others may have personal experience to share.

On the other hand, I’m hesitant to simply pay down more of a property, as we don’t need the immediate cash flow.Fortunately, both my wife’s job and mine are recession-proof, which allows us to be a bit more aggressive with our investments.I’d really appreciate advice from investors who have experience with frequent moves or military service.

My experience is those have been in short supply since beginning of time. 

New agents can often compensate for lack of experience with enthusiasm, professionalism, hard work, or even their good looks.

Also, make sure to start connecting with other investors in your market to build relationships and learn from their experiences

However, from a real world day to day experience it's a totally different animal.

However, in my experience the good wholesalers understand comps and construction costs, are transparent, have good referrals, and can actually get you in the property. 

@Chanel Snerling if you're going to rezone in those Neighborhoods, you'd be better off going with max number of units possible.What construction project development & management experience do you have?