Should we work on paying down our student loan debt as much as we can or continue making the monthly payments as we always have and use the extra to finance our first property?

As you continue educating yourself on REI and honing in on your niche, reach out to the good folks on BP.

Occupancy, Preservation, Maintenance and Protection of the Property:Borrower shall occupy, establish, and use the Property as Borrower's principal residence within sixty days after the execution of this Security Instrument (or within sixty days of a later sale or transfer of the Property) and shall continue to occupy the Property as Borrower's principal residence for at least one year after the date of occupancy, unless Lender determines that requirement will cause undue hardship for Borrower, or unless extenuating circumstances exist which are beyond Borrower's control.

Just a note on this.....Grand Rapids was featured in Forbes in January 2016 as the #1 place in the entire USA to invest in real estate.  

I think he'll be out at the Summit to chat too if he can make it ;)  Yeah I am thinking about pulling cash out of my Brentwood properties "if" I can continue to find solid opportunities in the mid west.

However as the market continued to climb and people began to pay unreasonable prices we exited the strategy by the end of 2015.

Continue to take action and know there is help a keystroke away!

Obviously I need to continue learning as lots of people on here are doing it.  

I don't mean to go against the grain of those who are selling that idea - all I can say is that it did not work for me.So.......... back to taking seminars, buying cassette tapes and books - I wanted to learn everything I could about investing in real estate ---- so--I had to get money, working capital, and I needed to go on the cheap - A friend told me about cheap properties you could buy in Baltimore - houses for only $2-3,000 and many of them could be found at public auctions.After borrowing some money and getting some credit cards and a new job - one in sales - I was ready - ready to invest in cheap- junk properties in the City.And wouldn't you know it - I got lucky at my first auction and purchased a cheap house that was boarded up - Because of all those expensive seminars I enrolled in I WAS READY - prepared with my pry-bar, flash light, level, marble and probe - I decided to go to this building that was being auctioned the next day - I sort of removed some plywood and crawled through a window to take a look -Boy was I surprised - this place looked great - I later found out that the estate boarded it to keep squatters out.The next day - I was ready with my deposit and waiting for the auctioneer to start his melodious hypnotic chant - 5 bidders appeared but did not bid because they could not get it - I was the only bidder and got the house real cheap.Today as an auctioneer, investor and developer of commercial properties - if someone would ask my opinion on how to get started I would suggest ---Continue to study but learn how to cut through the BSGet a credit line Learn 20 creative financing techniques - no money down systems (that is none of your own money)Hang with a few successful investors and pick - pick - pick their brain*** Look at 50 houses in the area you intend to invest (not expensive, blue collar, mixed rental and home owner neighborhoods)When you are finished looking at 50 properties - you will be armed with knowledge that most agents and other investors don't have - knowledge of values -Keep a journal, put listings in it, write down everything the agent or owner says, keep a record of the cost per square foot - this will help determine values -Have agents send you expired listings - go knock on the door or send a letter to ask if they are still accepting offers on the property - Remember an expired listed is a property that failed to sell - the seller should still be motivated to sell. 

You have to understand what goes into their report like the condition adjustment scale, quality of construction sale, how to pull the proper comps for the property (which can be different comps from actually valuing the property), how to value certain features in comps with the appraisal in mind, knowing what features can created price adjustments and which ones don't.