The seller doesn't doesn't want to rent it out as of now because he is looking to exit REI altogether, which is where I come in. I

Hey @Mark Moyer, thanks for checking in. I

The property we are interested in is about 2 hours from our house and my husband does have a background in construction.The property is listed at $234,000, I would hope to get is for $200-210k due to it being on the market for quite a while, it is in good shape with a newer roof, windows, furnaces etcBased on the home being 210k:Typical rents for area, property was prior owner occupied entire building so is vacant 1 3 bedroom 1 bath unit $1300 1 2 bed 2 bath unit $1100 total=$2400We would plan to put 20% down, our mortgage at 3.75% would be=$778A quote I got for homeowners insurance was = $134/monthVacancy = 10% = $240Property tax = $383Water/Sewer = $40Maintenance = 10% $240Management = 10 % $240 (Ourselves, but will hire people until we move to NH to owner occupy)expenses= $2015Monthly cash flow = $385annual gross income = $28,800 annual expenses = $24,180 annual cash flow $3,820cash on cash return $3820/$42000 = 9.09%ROI $3820/$210,000 = 1.8%I'm not sure if this will be a worthwhile investment, the main reason I am interested is that it is in a good area, the north end of Manchester. 

Unfortunately the area we live in is fairly expensive and another property in decent condition would cost $325k+ and any good properties are usually under contract in less than a week.  

The only 'investment' I have made is to purchase the house I currently live in. I

The areas my city is "investing" in I would be afraid to walk around at night.

What I'm not well versed in is hands on entreprenurial experience. 

This might be a dumb question.A realto in y area usually sells houses in a bid format.

What are some good books or guides to read on, and information should i familiarize myself with as of now, like legal documents and standings.The location i am looking to start out in is Ohio, the columbus area or around there, since this is where i will be living after i get out of the military.Thanks for any information and help.

Since I just read this entire thread, I have to chime in. I