I realized I don't want to give up my city life (Chicago) to move into a house in the suburbs that would eventually get rented out. 

I realized I don't want to give up my city life (Chicago) to move into a house in the suburbs that would eventually get rented out. 

The reason for going with rentals to start with is to create monthly income to work with on a daily basis (eventually replace my job) as flips may come less frequently or reliably.

I currently work for one of the top manufactured home lenders, but would like to eventually work in real estate full time. 

Just as a suggestion @Melissa Sturges, you may want to consider running your numbers as if you will eventually hire a property manager.Life can change and although you might be OK managing the property for the near future will you feel the same way in 5 or 10 years?

David, I will probably start in Delaware because I know the market there and eventually branch out to New Jersey. 

We eventually settled on a darker floor as we thought it looked more modern and we felt that it would balance with the white counters, and we plan to do a white backsplash eventually too. 

You can also visit your local real estate investment clubs as funders typically attend, Partner with more experienced investors, wholesale, or save enough to eventually invest

one thing though despite being told to leave, they are complaining that the fridge repair service is taking so long to come out and fix. the service center last said they are backed up with requests and would eventually have a tech call when in the area and available. 

And eventually you'll want/need a property manager, especially if you move out after a while.