It's going to be tough to buy a property without steady W2 income.  8k is a good start, but you might need to keep saving.  

I have a friend that buys and sells quite a bit in SoCal.

Also seems like a lot of MF sells occupied with tenants in place so you just have to comfortable with that and contracting up from and seeing inside after contracting.    1st step is to find a great lender and get pre-approved for a loan so you know what your budget is. 

I personally would avoid over investing in this unit.

Are you able to go there in person to build your network? 

Population in decline, prices in decline...

I am currently searching for a job in property management because I feel it will give me solid experience and knowledge to tackle my own properties one day (and I am in need of a career change).

Hi Charles,This is probably the fastest way to the poor house, mainly because, in Japan, houses are like cars as in their market value depreciates and goes to 0 over time.

If your first investment goes South you run the risk of putting your home in jeopardy.

You should reach out to @Melissa Haworth she can get the actual numbers/rents on STRs in the area to help run your comps.Each building is different, each area is different, it is important to find accurate data to make good decisions.