As I said, you don't HAVE to pay for any tools if you can't afford it, but it will take a lot longer and be more difficult to start making money.

But Mathew's comments above have given me pause, as most of my friends in the neighborhood that could afford the rent of a new condo have a car (or two).   

house hack in some sort of fashion.Either buy a duplex or large single family that you can rent out a room/side of the houseOr buy a fixer upper in the best neighborhood you can afford. 

ONLY purchase training if its with funds you can afford to lose because of the failure rate.making connections is important and where success can come from.

Quote from @Isaac Terry: I was looking at homes in Akron & Clevand, they are affordable but since I'm out of state I'm not sure about pulling the trigger on investing. 

It's much more affordable (you can get the $100 annual version instead of $300 per month like Appfolio).

Most Medicaid communities aren't nearly as nice as private-pay communities so if a senior can afford private-pay, they will almost always want to go that way instead of trying to qualify for Medicaid.Secondly, how does escrow benefit you? 

There's a post right above mine from a lender... there's always a lender offering $$$ even when people can't afford it. 

Home values are much more affordable and the local economy is trending upward.

Here are my two cents...I recommend starting in a market with strong fundamentals, such as steady population growth, an influx of major corporations or large businesses relocating to the area, an affordable cost of living, and high rental demand.