Hello,I'm currently looking to buy my first rental. Looking at both Duplexes and SFH. I make around 180k living on the west coast. I currently have around 20k cash for a down payment and that is steadily increasing so...

Most people will sell you on the upside—cheap properties, high cash flow, and a growing city—but they conveniently skip over the challenges.Tenant risk is real.

You want both of them to be real estate experts so the process will be smooth. 

Yeah, it's that real. 

The most successful Real Estate people I've known in the past 40+ years were not the Smartest, not ones with the most money, not the ones with the most connections,BUTThey were the MOST Persistent!

However, I've met great people in the real world who've shared with me that Bigger Pockets is an immense resource.

That might help people get you referrals.Disclaimer: While I’m a licensed attorney, I’m not your attorney.

To be successful as a real estate investor in any form - except maybe purchasing the Vanguard REIT index fund - an investor needs education, knowledge and understanding of real estate principles, real estate law, and real estate finance.  

@Sarah HartsteinThe way you spoke so highly of your success embodies what investing is all about.The more I research investors who are successfully investing outside the country, the more I feel inclined to shift my goals toward international real estate investments rather than focusing solely on opportunities within the U.S.I will most certainly keep you in mind once I am ready to expand my portfolio! 

Im a licensed Real Estate Agent, looking for advice and to just network with people.