And I managed to not insult or denigrate how people choose to spend money that they earned.

Choose wisely.

I will have about $13,000-$15,000 for a down payment on a property of my choosing.

@Carlos Araujo I agree with @Charlie MacPherson , get a local realtor who has a good reputation and get them to pull comps for you.

The team you choose to work with will either make or break your investment.

I have heard that it is very important to choose an area that I would like to live and I am in the process of doing so as we speak. 

Or for contractors that come with spotless reputations and glowing recommendations. 

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.

Try to find an isolated beach spot; When I was a teenager I knew a handful of beach  spots that would have no one in sight.Even with the short-comings, I would be hard pressed to choose a location in the US I would choose over it (maybe Santa Barbara area) even if I did not have the personal attachments.

I grew up in Orange and it was a rough, rough place, and Paterson had just as bad problems and reputation.