I've always heard that there is much opportunity in Real Estate Investment, but always thought that you have to possess a lot of capital to get started.

It should also show you other valuable financial metrics such as cash on cash return, full debt service coverage, and even IRR/NPV.

So for me I like free and clear assets and continue to pay down any and all debt.

Ehhhh probably not so much.And then there's of course the standard biggerpockets.com advice to always be mortgaged to the hilt and ever more in debt, which would mean a cash out refinance to pull ~$200k out and buying something else.

Properties are always cash flow positive and foreigners aren't as addicted to pointless consumer debt as Americans, so they don't really need a lot of qualifying income from a day job... or in theory any day job.10/10 would recommend as clients. 

However, I still have a large amount of debt from my training to deal with and am looking for strategies regarding real estate.

@Eugene Lee  those rules were spawned out of the Great GFC... not germane to todays markets in most areas.you can though still buy in areas were there is more housing than people to use the housing and find those rules apply and even more.. those are what we call cash flow markets that's all they are all they will ever be ( in most likelihood) so if your going to invest there only reason to do it is to hit those 2% or better metricswhere we reside on the West coast we generally look for break even and make our big bucks on having our tenants pay down our debts and of course appreciation... you have most folks that live in the non appreciating markets and their mantra is  ( cash flow cash flow appreciation is only luck its not investing  LOL)  and you have those that have gotten stupid wealthy buying west coast assets that double or tripled in value in a 10 year time frame.. take your pick..

Is anyone out there buying 2nd of lower position debt and then contesting the validity of the senior loans?

I also thought about considering inclusion of either a new fridge or washer/dryer to add as one time operating costs (1,000 under repairs and maintenance)I wound up getting a taxable income of 950 bucks after things like debt service and depreciation.

Will or no will, high value or low value, multiple heirs or a single child, mortgages or no debts, all these things will be factors in determining the complexity of the case.Since you'll need to know the next of kin (either directly or obtained from death certificate) you'll also need to think through what you'd say to someone who just lost a close relative.