Also, do you have any kind of ballpark figure for how much of a discount the group would get off premiums grouped versus individual?

Friends at a title company could tell you people who settled with VA/FHA mortgages. 

Maybe personal loan from a bank or credit union, friends and family.

I just don't forecast renting it all. it's personal living space for family & friends. 

An investor friendly agent can do all sorts of helpful things, like setting you up with a search for properties or connecting you with folks who have recently done deals like the ones you want to do. 6) Consider analyzing a deal or two in your local market, just for practice, with a free use of our Rental Property Calculator (or other calculators).

This is when you hear stories about how individuals in their early to mid-20s ultimately give up because they're burnt out and have little results to show.

I got interested in real estate investing around a year ago after hearing about the financial benefits of investing and after talking to a family friend who does this as well.

Best of luck, my friend. 

If it's important to be near the Bay area then maybe consider the Tahoe Reno, NV market because it's only a few hours away if you need to go to the office and it offers a landlord friendly environment, low property taxes, and no state income tax.

i don't do/invest in residential real estate but perhaps it would be possible to learn SFR by getting job in property management, also get RE agent license, then once you have learned a fair bit, form a syndication with yourself as GP, get your college friends, their families, and anyone you know to invest as limited partners, then buy a rental house for cash, and you take 20-25% equity and provide the property management for a % of the rent, whatever is industry standard.