Be sure to save your funds from arbitraging and buy property when your market is a buyer's market.

I put $25,000 into repairs, but could have saved $5,000 if I had gone with the GC's people instead of my own (at the time I had not quite settled on the GC). 

You say you can afford the mortgage even if the other unit is vacant but that you don't have extra cash for the other expenses of being a landlord.So...instead of buying a single-family home instead, can you buy the duplex, keep up with the mortgage, sit on the other unit for a while until you've saved up some cash, then rent it out?

I'm looking at plopping my life savings into my first house.

We are currently paying more than double our mortgage to get rid of this debt, but we could slow that down to save for a down payment on another house.

He can afford to bring the mortgage current with his savings but can't afford to pay cash for the home and wanted to get a VA loan.

We are currently paying more than double our mortgage to get rid of this debt, but we could slow that down to save for a down payment on another house.

I’ve always wanted to get into real estate but don’t really know the best route I’ve got about $25,000 saved up what would be the wisest way to use thIs?

Continuing this for 3-5 years while working two jobs, living tight, saving as much as possible and throwing it at investments so that I can then be reliably making 30-50k by around 4-5 years in.  

ONLY thing that made it a viable investment for me was the HUGE tax savings I got up front in years were I had massive ordianary income and I saved 100s of thousands that there is no way to get out of or deffer other than this tax treatment.. at least that what I keep telling myself..