Top two things to do are to:educate yourself on the different aspects of RE, figure out what makes the most sense for your life goals, and to pursue a deeper knowledge of that areafigure out your financial situation because that will dictate what you can/can't doI guess that was more than two things...

We would like to purchase a SFH in the area and my question is this: In the long run, what would be more financially wise, holding onto our current property and scraping together a small downpayment for a less expensive SFH or selling our current property and applying a $100,000 downpayment toward a larger SFH?

So it's not like Turnkey is pain-free, you have to do the work and know how to avoid being taken for a ride, like pretty much any big financial decision in life.I am always happy to provide info to new investors, as it fuels my BP addiction anyway ;) But before you or your friend make any decisions, it's crucial to have a serious heart to heart about what the goals are for the investment and what your needs are with regard to time commitment, risk, and control (do you need to be near the property, do you need to be in charge of tenants?).

We are hoping Real estate investing will allow our family to transition out of the military to a financially stable future for our 3 children.

Especially with the financial aspect of the business, as that is my weak spot.

Yes, we're fully aware of the Dave Ramsey method to financial freedom, that's another discussion in another forum. 

I am searching zoning, and different financial strategies like subject 2,  AITD, NNN, etc.Wholesaling commercial is a lot more than I expected but like you said this is great knowledge and a door opener for more than one wholesaling range for me to participate in. 

I really wanna grow and streamline it and do well financially for freedom.

What are some of the key financial indicators?

As someone who has been looking at homes in the Bay Area over the last year, the homes with original details stand out (and sell for more) among the generic flips (grey wood laminate, recessed lighting, white cabinets and subway tile and all beige bathrooms).