What would you do in my shoes, dip into the market if conditions looked right, or wait until next year? 

Though, I know many people who pay more than that for shoes and purses...

@Michael Siciliano , welcome to BP and congratulations on starting so young.If I were in your shoes, I'd continue to save money, since investing is much easier when you have some cash than trying to do zero down deals. 

We have showcase on a flip tomorrow night.

No moving, relocating, and buying a house that don't need anything major for ~10 years is great vs coming in below budget and I have to do a roof year after next.In your shoes I would buy the starter home and use the money saved for down payment on an investment property.

I could record the deed at a title company.So, in your shoes, I could possibly get discounted properties from motivated sellers.  

I feel like this is a topic I could talk about for hours because I have been in your shoes, but the biggest advice I can give you is education, education, education  you can not know too much before you make that first purchase. 

Now if I were in your shoes I'd probably buy the lot for $2,000 and pay to have the home scraped. 

They were apparently blinded by their political agenda, and could not see the forest for the trees.The least expensive housing option in any marketThis segment showcased two manufactured homeowners.

It's no surprise that no one is going to manage your property better then you can, its simply a matter of incentives.I own properties in Portland and am looking for more locally, having said this, if I was in your shoes I would be investing in Chicago, it just makes more sense to me.