and where you could start with a house hack... which is the best and most powerful way to get started.now, should you buy a random, 'cheap' (supposedly) property in some random market you may never live in or have any connection to, before you're settled, just to own an investment property? 

Denver is very expensive for a new guy who doesn't have loads of capital so a market like Missouri for example is intriguing for far cheaper real estate but then Id either have to move, improve the property remotely or simply buy and hold as a rental for X time. 

They are not buy and hold forever type properties. 

Quote from @Alex Clark: Looking to buy a property in Ohio Depends.

House hacking is using an owner occupant loan to get into a home or a 2-4 unit property.

My goal for this year is to flip my first property.

Took about half a year to learn how to walk, talk and even eat again, but bounced back to my love for real estate investing and the two things that transitioned me from just wholesaling to actually buying deals as an investor was creative finance and private money.Bought my first rental property in Easley, S.C. owner finance and one of my best rentals I still own today was bought subject-to! 

Good morning @Joshua MartinGreat thing about a VA mortgage is you can do an IRRRL even after you have moved out of the property!

There are still properties that can increase their rents, and may make for a good investment.  

I will never buy a property without an inspection.