Many thanks from a newbie 🥰 The best yields minus appreciation are going to be found in cheaper area, front Royal area in Virginia, PG, Baltimore County and I suppose Baltimore city, eastern shore of Md etc. 

I’m graduating from Eastern Illinois University in the summer and am very interested in getting started in real estate investing.

We are looking in eastern ham. co. and cler. co. and I have never been to an auction of any kind.

The Eastern Panhandle is an odd market, but we're certainly in the path of growth (if memory serves, Berkeley and Jefferson counties were the only ones that grew in the last few years in WV).All the books above are solid, and BiggerPockets has some great ones as well.

Eastern Panhandle WV, Winchester, and Frederick/Hagerstown.

I just returned from the first WREIN conference,  which had Barbara Corcoran, Patrice Washington, Genevieve Gordor, Elena Cardone, and several others. 

I happened to lose my W2 job in March and found a role as Disposition Manager at a big local flipping company- so what I've found is that even with only 2 years of really studying and immersing myself into real estate investing strategies, conferences, books, Tony Robbins stuff.... there's a HUGE difference in my level of knowledge and PROFESSIONALISM compared to younger folks I meet. 

Most folks are paying rent and even if you go back to DeBlasio/Cuomo press conferences, neither is proposing relief in early Feb.

That said I just bought a place after a rushed 15 minute walk through between lunch and a conference call. 

But as you said, it is going to be late 2020's before the first ticket to ride is issued and it would take some deep pockets to implement a buy and hold strategy to go after high density multi-family, conference, or hotel development.