You will need to save that initial income to buy your first properties, get your mortgages, etc.You don't need a college degree to swing a hammer, but that psychology class could come in handy negotiating with a difficult tenant.

Who's gonna buy them?

I am still trying to figure out my buy box, but long term rentals feels like the right strategy for us.   

You can contribute by finding deals or managing properties in exchange for a share of the profits.Lease Options: Control properties without owning them by renting with an option to buy, and potentially sublease for profit.Owner Financing: Buy properties directly from sellers willing to finance, bypassing traditional lenders and often requiring less upfront money.REIGs: Join real estate investment groups to pool funds with others for property investments.For a more hands-off approach, investing in turnkey properties in growing markets with minimal upfront investment would be ideal (like in the Southeast and Midwest of the country).

And buy your next primary residence. 

These included cash buys for flips, seller financing, and subject-to deals.

I had a wild old man call me one time when I first started sending out yellow letters asking me why I wanted to buy his house when I live in a perfectly fine house.  

You might want to speak with the owner of the house next door and let them know you'd like to buy it.

So why would we buy the cash flow at a rate of 6%?

It doesn’t matter if you buy a new roof in year 5 or year 30, you depreciate it over 27.5 more years, not 27.5 since you purchased the property.