Please click on the links, give them a read, and share your thoughts in the comments.First is a post that I feel will help not get overwhelmed with the amount of info that is here on BP:https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/5868/52761-the-simple-guide-to-getting-started-on-bpThe second is a post that will help get you focused with your real estate investing goals:https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/5868/52743-im-new-to-bp-any-advice-would-be-appriciatedThe last one is a post that will help you choose an “investor friendly” real estate agent.

BP is a great resource between podcasts, blog posts and connecting with other wholesalers on here to understand what it takes to get started.

We try to provide as many FREE resources as possible for listeners.

You can verify anyone’s active duty status at https://scra-w.dmdc.osd.mil/scra/#/homeThis site is a real time resource for verification of all Active Duty service members.If they aren’t on there as active duty, then they aren’t.

Any help or resources would be appreciated. 

For example there's a state by state closing guide and the Maryland homebuying process vs. the Rhode Island homebuying process.

What I recommend is join your local LL association-very low cost and a great resource plus networking.

It's a numbers game so it's not impossible, you'll just have to shift the numbers & resources to your side. 

You can invest in a good or bad two family in RI or Mass equally, but having a a 20 minute vs. 1 hour daily commute, or being able to see family multiple times a week vs once or twice a month can be pretty important.So I would say choose between those areas first, then when you're ready to start analyzing specific properties to see if you want to put offers in on any of them, there are a lot of resources here on Bigger Pockets for learning to analyze properties, such as the rental property buy and hold calculator.I don't do a lot of owner occupied purchases for myself at this point so the Conventional 97 is new to me also (and has only been around since Dec 2014) but it looks like there are many pages comparing it to FHA so I'd recommend just spending the time to research the differences a bit.You'd want to make sure that if you use a mortgage broker s/he is licensed in RI and Mass (if you still haven't decided between the two), and I'd say to make sure when you are comparing the two options that you consider all the monthly costs (e.g., including private mortgage insurance payments in addition to the regular monthly principal/interest payment) and that you consider all the up-front costs.

I found this FAQ helpful for research purposes on basic questions I had:https://www.trustetc.com/resources/education/faqs