Read all you can, and you will eventually gravitate to what makes the most sense for you. 

I'm interested in eventually buy and holds in South Lake, but I've been looking into properties in Reno, NV as there it is a bigger town and has more properties and different possibilities for investing. 

I'm graduating college with a Bachelors in Business Management in December.  The job scene still isn't great and I know a lot of people with similar degrees who can't find work.  I'm considering going to work in the N...

I've been taking the local approach, looking to find deals that work up here in the northern north bay (as I call it), but I'm eventually interested in trying out of state as well.

Eventually you'll be able to borrow against it once you have substantial equity.

I am looking to begin wholesaling and eventually move into other real estate investing.

All of the exposure with agents and markets around the country eventually blossomed into an idea: why can't I do that? 

I get long term tenants that will take care of the place and the tenants would eventually get a free house just for being good long tern tenants.

Eventually I'd like to continue buying rental properties with a buy&hold strategy after getting my feet wet.Any advice for the situation I've described above?

Either way I feel both can eventually bring me closer to my goal of retiring from my full-time job by 40 (26 now).