You can camouflage the target on your back a bit by holding the title in a living trust. 

I know folks who bought strip malls and multi-tenant retail in 90s for 5-10 cents on the dollar at auction from Resolution Trust Corp after Savings and Loan crises in Texas, We are now going through similar deleveraging event after super frothy period in Multi-Family due to 0% fed funds x 20 yrs and many properties bought at 3-3.5 cap rates, especially in austin/dallas/H-town. 

Both working okay/fine paying jobs, both worked through school so no student debt, driving old cars so no car payments

As long as you're careful and NEVER miss a payment. 

S&P 500 beats RE by double.S&P 500 = $900,000Real Estate = $460,000However, these units are good for someone who wants to dip into real estate while using their unit any time they want with the aforementioned owner perks but without the hassle that ownership brings like maintenance, roof, bad tenants, furnishings, bill payments like SDG&E, internet etc.

You could start saving and cutting your expenses aiming at arriving at that specific amount for a down payment on the day of purchase.

Conventional financing, 20% down payment Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Building the common connection/story that allows for you to relate to and build trust with your dream investor avatar3.

Oh one more tip, ask specific questions, like who is going to not say “yeah im great with communication” , be wary of this trap too because you want the PMs to focus on doing their jobs rather than answering 20 emails from each investor each week, time is our most valuable resource please don’t take up too much of it, when you say “yes” to something you are also saying “no” to something else (opportunity costs)Questions to ask:- what is the eviction process like after COVID 19 in your city (ask for details and differences beforehand)- what are the city rental regulations, what is the process to obtain a rental license, how would you rate this city compared to surrounding cities on difficulty with this process and working with landlords- how do you handle late fees and payment plans, if a tenant calls and says they’re going to be 5-9 days late but have been on time for 6 months what is your response- if multis - how do you handle tenant conflicts- why do they work in property management and how did they get there- if you could invest in any city in the state where would you and why (I love this question because it will tell you if they know where the most profitable areas are for investors and ROIs and hidden costs)- how is water/water bills handled in this city

If you are thinking a long-term hold the Cash on Cash metric will likely be the most helpful in evaluating your deal with interest payments.