Currently I work as a Software Developer, which I love to do and have always enjoyed doing, but during my years in college, I realized that working a full-time job will not get me where I wanted to go.

Probably not super practical, but good to know about as viable option. 

Practically sometimes comes into play. 

The top-down duplex is 100 years old, rented at market rate, near a college and military base, and has been 100% occupied over the past 2 years.

This may have already been posted, if so please delete, here is how a 19yr old college kid began investing with only $10,000!

I hear Queen Center Mall looks practically like -and better than- Manhattan mall these days.I'd do phone interviews then meet at a public place ie Starbucks in Forest Hills unless my office were available already.For properties to invest in, I'd probably work with an investor-friendly broker who I'd legally be able to pay a commission per deal found and closed on.

When I started private practice two years ago, I finally decided it was time to educate myself in financial matters, and boy, was it an eye-opening experience.  

I post on the internet, hospitals, nursing schools and the colleges that are in walking distance to my home. 

Based on what I've learned about recognizing a deal and understanding the numbers, even-though the seller was not interested or motivated to sell, I saw it as a good practice instead. 

This practice is less than attractive, IMHO to any newbie investor; especially when the discussion was to have, at a minimum, 3 separate series, 1 to buy and sell (flips), one to hold (rentals), and one to handle operations(PM or day to day OPS).