If you can't find an investment property that gets you a minimum annual ROI >8% then paying down the debt would help you speed up the time it takes for you to start saving money that you can invest into real estate?

Simplicity and Speed: Cash buyers are known for their efficiency, making the process of selling a house quick and hassle-free.

God Speed, Michael Short 

you can buy the advanced material from any of the guru's on E bay for 50 bucks or so.. there is only so many ways to skin the RE cat... nothing is really new or inventive... you may want to take some RE pre license courses this will get you up to speed on the laws and rules in your state..

For a small/new investor, your only real advantages are going to be speed & creativity. 

I was thinking about being forthcoming to my potential investors about who I am, all the way down to the speeding ticket from 4 years ago. 

The easiest loan I ever used in terms of paperwork and speed.   

To second @Jeff Costa speed of underwriting makes a huge difference. 

intcmp=vhp-bb-fbcIts important that things get done, quickly and in a professional looking manner vs just being the cheapest in town.What I am saying is it's (also) important to Judge the outcome by the quality of the work, and the speed (to prevent excessive downtime).Cheapest is not always best.

Many of the 2-4 unit properties in the Philly suburbs sell within the first 2-5 days on market too, so speed is important.