While looking into how I can actually accomplish this, I realized that I need to be able to have the time to truly commit to it and therefore I need to achieve financial freedom so that I don't have to work a full time job.

It is reckless to commit any savings to investing when your future is uncertain.

I would have never committed to a prorated rent up front.

(I am new at this though, so I think that time commitment will lessen as I get more comfortable with things.)And for what it is worth, if you do buy a fixer-upper, I think it's a good idea to manage the property yourself.

Commit to the process of becoming a regular Pittsburgh investor, hang out here on BP with the Pittsburghers, study the city, its history, its culture, and its strangeness, and eventually you will be richly rewarded.

I’m fairly new to Real Estate but I’ve been committed to learning.

I'm fairly new to Real Estate but I've been committed to learning.

I mean you can do all that without a license but if you want to commit to RE, getting your license could be a good start while you Uber (and if you haven’t found an IT job).

These deals were in 2010-2011,  when the Chicago Tribune couldn't go three days without another story about real estate fraud being committed in the wake of the recession.  

Hey Sage- Sounds like you have a good understanding of how to leverage and invest, now it's just a matter of committing to growth.