Be sure to check out the Ultimate Beginners Guidehttp://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investingRead read read, and network network network!!!

I would recommend checking out both The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Real Estate Investing and listening to The BiggerPockets Podcast.

Fill in the foundation below.Check out the Start Here page http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere Check out BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginner's Guide - A fantastic free book that walks through many of the key topics of real estate investing.Check out the free BiggerPockets Podcast - A weekly podcast with interviews and a ton of great advice.

Time to build the foundation below.Check out the Start Here page http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere Check out BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginner's Guide - A fantastic free book that walks through many of the key topics of real estate investing.Check out the free BiggerPockets Podcast - A weekly podcast with interviews and a ton of great advice.

So I started to buy ( kind of like income averaging knowing I was going to get my but kicked on the 5 OREO's I had left) so we got some just smokin deals in those early days after the meltdown.I would be writting on Out of country RE blogs and there were TK guys really promoting TEXAS and there reason is that Texas never fell or not much in the GFC...So that begged the question 3 or 4 years ago what was a better investment markets that got crushed or Texas... markets like Vegas Phx CA Atl  .... 

I will continue my journey educating myself and making small moves that ultimately support my end goal. 

Not sure how expensive the repairs will be, but this may ultimately be the deal-breaker for me.

Ultimately, I will be talking with a CPA to discuss strategy but just wanted some general feel on my path forward before I get consulted.My wife and I are preapproved for the amount of both properties, but I am thinking about starting an LLC, or some legal entity, to shield my home/W2 income/savings/etc.

Suarez,Providing for ones family is the ultimate goal and if your current employer is throwing overtime at you, I would suggest you take it, at least in the short term. 

Read everything you can- the blogs, forum posts, the Ultimate Beginners Guide on BP, and of course many real estate books.