@Erik Heldt- thanks - sounds like a decent well thought out strategy .As you cant use your  VA eligibility for a rental purchase - make sure that you  get fully pre approved with a lender before you begin looking  so that you are  educated / organized and  prepared to make an offer when you locate a property . 

Setting specific objectives can help you stay focused on your long-term vision and will direct your financial decisions.Act: While networking and education are important, don't wait to act and begin examining possible offers.

Whether it be podcasts, books or BP forums education is key.

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

Lessons learned education on going I decided to get back into it with a business mind set.

And in response to the financial partner, including Realtors, they aren't educated in current and constantly changing legislation that affects you and your rental property.

My hope in joining this community is to learn more from others with experience, get a better understanding of the real estate / rental market as a whole, learn best practices when considering an investment property, get recommendations on educational material, and make professional connections along the way.

I’m a broker in Fort Lauderdalr, FL and my goal is to do more educational events to become more of a resource to others.I did start up a YouTube channel with my agents and I’m very excited for that. 

Educate yourself on the local market, network with other investors and agents, and always have a solid plan in place before making any investments.

I would suggest to connect to other local investors as much as possible to network, educate yourself, make connections with title companies, contractors, wholesalers, hard money lenders etc, those will prove vital to your success.