Once you establish your game plan you network some more to find the necessary people to help you put the plan into action.

BelindaYes and no.....local banks and credit unions are going to want you to have a lot of skin in the game which means more % down.

However if a 3rd car is in the drive its a game of shuffle. 

Hi All,I'm new to the real estate game and investing.

It is like a stock market game. if you are looking at it long term though, do you think rents would drop as well?

Noble too that you want to pave your own way financially apart from your family.Recognize that it's a get rich slow game (which I'm sure you know by now).

I think you need some more reading before you try playing the game 

Ultimately I am an opportunistic investor who wants to be conservative on his first few deals as I have a young family and see success as more likely the longer I can stay in the game.

If you want to be in this game for the long profitable haul you need to make sure your properties align with your numbers, otherwise when the market hits a snag you may not be able to come out of the trenches in one piece.I remember when my husband and I went to bid at our first auction sale (we had attended several auctions before to get a feel of the atmosphere) I had an excel sheet for the property I was interested in and detailed profit/loss for every $5k increment of bid.

Don't stand on the sidelines while others play the game for fear of failure!