I am a full-time IT contractor for the Navy and have been interested in real estate for quite some time.

My husband is active duty navy so we are buy and hold investors.

I spent 18 months in the Phillippines and saw some retired Marines and Navy guys in flip flops there.

I was born have lived in the Bay Area all my life except for stint in the Navy. 

Then I became a renovation handyman putting in my time on my own properties.If I were you, I'd think very hard about the military, especially the Navy Construction Battalions, the Seabees.

He's dealt with a lot of bad stuff in life, and has many issues stemming from his service in the Navy in the Vietnam war.

I think it misses one of the most important elements though, the human factor.A burly ex Navy Seal will have a much different attitude about venturing into the hood than someone who is generally afraid of their own shadow.

I have written a lot of articles on how to self-manage from a distance on reluctantlandlord and even posted one of my numbers.Honestly investing in the navy has been a VERY good financial move for us!

I suspect you are correct on the navy being the biggest employer (but not certain).  

Healthy Navy population with the bases at Bremerton and Bangor (not so different from UW in terms of a healthy rental market), but also lots of healthcare employees.