(I will say make sure you spend at least 100 hours studying and asking questions/attending meetups before jumping in.

Also, you can only use a VA loan on a house that you are going to live in intially so you can't use a VA loan to buy a rental property that you don't attend to live in initially.

I currently gross around $120K per year and plan to maintain this income through the first many years of my REI journey.So far: I’m educating myself on the process of REI by reading books, following the forums, attending webinars, etc.

I’ve attended a few webinars about investing in multi family homes, and like the prospect of steady monthly income, but I am also able to provide financing myself though years of savings and the settlement result.

The slow way is to read books, attend events, listen to podcasts. 

I have been educating myself with books, podcasts and research over the last month and attended my first meetup a few days ago - which was very informative and beneficial.  

@Toi L Hudson - Yup, attending local investor meetings is the right thing to do.

I have time to search for deals, I just need some guidance hence why I am immersing myself in all the information at biggerpockets and attending local events, as well.I am hungry for success, but I am not desperate for a deal in order to feed my family. 

Also attend one of the BP webinars specifically geared towards finding your first deal. 

Start attending local area meetups about real estate investing, and meet some other wholesalers / investors.