I was also lucky enough to be able to study architectural design at a trade school my last two years of high school and really enjoyed it, however I went on to study business in college.

The properties I am looking at are not local to me so I won't be maintaining them myself.  

I agree about SOFILook into house hacking ( duplex & multifamily ) If possible look into deferring student loans for 6 to 12 monthsResearch , study , and attend local REIA meeting over next yearDetermine your current market for investingDo run out purchase turn key properties without doing a lot of researchBring down your DTI by lowering or saving student loans Stock market will most likely be in sell mode until the middle of December( only my two cents )

Yes, they do have HOAs, but HOAs help you maintain the building and generally pay for water/sewer/garbage which you pass on to your tenants.I have been investing in condos personally for a few years now and have seen prices skyrocket.  

Lots of people during the crash burned through their savings by maintaining their livestyle and hoping that they would find a job soon.

I keep the places updated and well maintained as I just do not have the temperament to let them run down. 

I have 15 years of business experience so I leveraged what I knew, even tho it was related directly to REI.I've also studied online marketing because I know that is something that most investors don't have as much time to focus on.

However education is key, and you need to study and educate yourself to know junk from gold.Josh

The owner of the home died just this February 2015 and he was dealing with cancer so he wasn't able to do anything to maintain the home; reason for its condition.

Is there a way to dedicate property to a specific college but still maintain full ownership?