It sounds like my goals in the short term will be as follows:1) Small (but growing) emergency fund2) 401k full match3) Max out roth IRABeyond that I will either contribute more to savings or 401k, depending on how everything starts to pan out.

@Jon AcostaOn a free and clear house, no work, great condition, great location, offer an installment sale, for a buy and hold property for yourself.Get the payment to owner low enough below market rent for a great cashflow to support PITI and maintenance and vacancy; purchase price can be $125,000.payments to seller (market rent - 350) or better.Installment sales have imputed interest (See Applicable Federal Rates IRS)I would offer cash or terms, cash is .70 x arv - repairs.Owning private mortgage paper is better than owning property: no toilets, tenants, or law suits.

@Justin HerringtonWhile Thorold does not give a maximum occupancy per dwelling unit in a direct manner, it appears to define any building providing lodging to more than four (4) occupants as a boarding house:“boarding house” means a building in which lodging is provided for more than four (4) persons in return for remuneration or for the provision of services or for both and in which the lodging rooms do not have both bathrooms and kitchen facilities for the exclusive use of the individual occupant;In turn, they restrict a rooming house or lodging house (but never marry definitions to that of the boarding house) as follows:Where a dwelling unit contains rooms intended to be used in conjunction with a rooming house or lodging house, the occupants may share a single bathroom provided that: (1) not more than nine (9) persons occupy the dwelling unit; (2) for each additional nine (9) persons or part thereof, there shall be an additional toilet, handwash basin, bathtub or shower; and (3) access to the bathroom can be gained without passing through: (a) a habitable room of another dwelling unit; or (b) an open area, which is not normally heated during the period of the year which heat is required by article 2.22.3 of this by-law.So, it appears to come down to whether boarding houses are permitted where you property is located (and whether they need to be specifically licensed), unless your building would be seen as a non-conforming duplex.This is the question, I believe Thomas was asking.

Both are being tested currently so I'll see how they pan out.My own neighborhood is surprisingly not farmed by an agent, so it was time to slip myself into that role.

It has a toilet room and a shower in the middle of another room.

I agree that I should go easy into investing and even if it doesn't pan out for the near future I definitely want to learn as much as possible so that when I am done with school I already have a solid knowledge base.   

"Leak at toilet, consult plumber." 

Here is what we put in our move out letter, which may be helpful to build on:Specifically, here's a list of items you should thoroughly clean before vacating:[ ] Floors[ ] sweep/mop laminate floors[ ] vacuum carpets and rugs (shampoo if necessary)[ ] mop kitchen and bathroom floors[ ] Walls, baseboards, ceilings, and built-in shelves[ ] Kitchen cabinets, countertops and sink, stove and oven--inside and out [ ] Refrigerator--clean inside and out, empty it of food[ ] Bathtubs, showers, toilets, and plumbing fixtures[ ] Doors, windows, and window coveringsPlease don't leave anything behind--that includes bags of garbage, clothes, food, newspapers, furniture, appliances, dishes, plants, cleaning supplies, or other items that belong to you.For move in, put all info in the rental agreement.  

But of course that would be very limited unless you can get the applicants to give a complete tour including inside the refrigerator, inside the stove, inside the tub and shower, inside the toilet bowl, etc. 

. $1000 on carpet/paint, and about $1500 on kitchen and bath tile, sinks, toilet, etc.