The strategies may differ.A few perks to SA are strong job and population growth and diversity of employers.  

By then, I'm practically committed to him!  

Or offer a discount if a student can commit and PAY in ADVANCE for both Fall and Spring terms.

The economy is strong and you tend to find responsible people with good credit.

@Alexander Quan 1) the penalty for committing mortgage fraud (which is what that would be) is, from a quick google search "Under U.S. federal and state laws, mortgage fraud can result in up to 30 years in federal prison, and up to $1 million in fines"2) you posted about possibly committing said fraud on BP with an account that shows your full name3) Most (if not all) owner-occupy mortgages have clear language that you must occupy them, so you can't just let it sit there empty for 45 days (this is an assumption, will depend on what your mortgage language says).Overall sounds like a shady way to go about starting off your investing career.

ANY SUCH OFFER MAY BE WITHDRAWN OR REVOKED, WITHOUT OBLIGATION OR COMMITMENT OF ANY KIND, AT ANY TIME BEFORE NOTICE OF ACCEPTANCE GIVEN AFTER THE DATE OF QUALIFICATION.

If the market is showing strong fundamentals then I can more easily justify valueing my property at a lower cap, especially if the velocity of the market is strong.

I am fully committed to the idea and I have been reading and watching podcasts on the subject, but I just have some clearing up to do as far as what I need in order to make my first purchase?

It wouldn't be a strong odor like something that was soaked, but it could be enough that you get the scent of it and can't figure out exactly where it is coming from.   

I would pick an area that is B/C class with a housing inventory that has some value to be added with strong rental demand and ideally low enough crime for you to feel comfortable going there at night.