I have a 90% scholarship and have minimal expenses so I don't anticipate any debt from school that I'll need to worry about paying off.Should I just be browsing random forums and listening to the podcasts?

Some general advice would be just to starting reading the Short Term rentals forum which you can find by going to Browse forums and then under Real Estate strategies. 

You can get there by going to Browse Forums > Real Estate Strategies > Short Term Rental and Vacation Rental discussion.Just by browsing there, you could easily bookmark discussions on projected rents, self-managing, using software, and any number of other topics.

If you go under browse forums > Real Estate Strategies > Short Term and Vacation Rentals.

I am going to look into that zip code later as I browse through the MSLs

I could tell you how great RentTec is, but then you find the interface annoying.Go sign up for a few free accounts and run them through the wringer.

I will keep browsing this area thanks.

The browsing one time homebuyer may not need the depth of data (although we are seeing a quickly increasing trend where savvy homebuyers are doing their own comps and detailed property research).

You can create a free version so that you can browse around to see if it meets your needs prior to purchase. 

You can use them in custom paper reports you create, but all the graphical interfaces that are easy to look at don't seem to have any way to separate things by tag, nor does the business overview or other things quickly accessible.