Currently I am 21 attending the University of Delaware with a degree in Environmental studies and sustainability, with an economics background.

The kind of speculation is pretty universally discouraged here, since one of the benefits of buy and hold rentals is that they are much more stable than stocks.

I currently am working on obtaining my Business Marketing Degree from California State University, Los Angeles where I have a year left until I'm done!

My name is Evan Nelson, I've been lurking on Bigger Pockets for a while now, listening to podcasts and I have finally gotten comfortable enough to begin the next stage by joining the online community here.About me: I am a 24 year old University of Oregon senior Econ student, Oregon Army National Guard enlisted Infantryman (VA home loan!)

I live in Los Angeles, however, I also own in Nashville (paid $265k and rent to students at Vanderbilt University at $2k a month), and Austin (paid $240k and rent to students at UT at $2k a month) where I have long term rent on condos that are also nicely appreciating.   

The universe itself would want you dead, want to destroy you as you would represent anti-matter to it and lets face it you are a dependent being by the fact you are a mere human being made of the very essence of the material in the universe in a very limited fashion, meant to come and go, serve and meet your end but you do not understand this so you feel you can be your all independent of the world around you and in fact you are against your very essence.

We've been looking for deals out of state in Duluth, MN near the University and Lake Superior.  

My 1 year goal is to transfer to a university in my home state of Texas and buy a 3-4 unit, with a FHA loan (potentially using equity from a home I've rented for a few years now), while living in one unit and renting out the rest while I finish school.

Or is there another universal way to generalize the RE cost in an area? 

It's universal, just like employees.. most of the time it's due to poor hiring process.