You don't need to know everything to get started; you need a foundation to build on, and the rest will come through experience and then refining your education.You can build a basic understanding of investing in 3-6 months.

But I would remain open to long-term rental as an option as this seems like a more stable option in terms of income, again this may be my inexperience talking.However, I have always  been somewhat risk averse and investing in real estate is always a big venture, in my opinion/experience, in terms of capital.

I find it's very personal, and dependent a lot on your goals, resources, risk tolerance, location, experience, etc.

Quote from @Elam Fisher Jr: Anyone have experience with mid term rentals in Baltimore city?  

@Colby Burns  Agreed regarding the PM side with them (A member of my spouses family had a horrible experience with them)  Regarding the construction side, I cannot speak to. 

Also, if you have construction experience, leverage that when talking to investors.

Focus on smaller single-family homes, condos with low HOA fees, or multi-family properties in these regions, and build a reliable local team of agents, property managers, and other professionals to ensure a smooth investing experience.

I invite seasoned investors to share their experience buying their first 2-4 unit properties. here are some questions to base your response/story1) how did you find your first property ?

You'll most likely still need a coborrower at first, but may be able to refi them out of the deal in a year or two once you have qualifying experience and operating history - then you can likely use all of the rental income towards your gross income. 

This has been my experience: "As to the remedy plaintiffs seek, the case law reveals that "the equitable remedy of specific performance is routinely awarded in contract actions involving real property, on the premise that each parcel of real property is unique" (EMF Gen.