Not sure if you have a gain in it now.My recommendation is to separate the decision of your former house as a rental and deciding to move.  

Would you recommend I buy my first property as my primary residence now to gain the experience of home ownership or look to buy an investment property (out of state most likely)? 

I know that I can present an investor with a solid return on their money.Are there any creative methods to gain access to $10,000-$20,000 in order to cover my closing costs?

BP is an excellent place to gain more knowledge. 

Thanks all for the insights.

First you gain some experience , second , scratches on a elevator with out pictures of the person scratching it mean nothing . 

My understanding of investing in REITs is that the returns are taxed as regular income as opposed to capital gains.

@Jeff Thompsonwhen you sell investment owned by the IRA - the gains are sheltered from taxes (because IRA is tax-deferred vehicle) and when IRA-owned investment produce income or cash-flow - it must flow into the IRA and also will be sheltered from taxes (unless the income is unrelated business taxable income). 

I am looking forward towards gaining more knowledge with the forums and the vast community on this website.

Have them locked under a contract to buy but I'm having difficulty deciding to wholesale or to look for an experienced investor with a great builder to gain some experience in new builds.