I’d love to hear from anyone who has experience in this area. 

Right now, I’m considering a few areas:Fredericksburg, VARichmond, VAOxon Hill, MDGermantown, MDFor those of you who have experience investing in any of these spots, what’s the vibe like?

@Kegan SchollFrom my experience, if you're a 22-year-old house hacker, Texas and similar markets can be great for room rentals thanks to population growth, strong demand, and tourism.

Start local and small, then grow from there with experience.

You don't need to know everything to get started; you need a foundation to build on, and the rest will come through experience and then refining your education.You can build a basic understanding of investing in 3-6 months.

I respect the experience here and am eager to contribute as I grow.

It seems like you are either taking bad experiences that you have had, or things you have heard, and you are blanketly applying it to entire strategies that have worked and been helpful to tons of people. 

I invite seasoned investors to share their experience buying their first 2-4 unit properties. here are some questions to base your response/story1) how did you find your first property ?

I found investors to do well when they already have experience in their local market.

It’s definitely exciting to see suburban Chicago getting recognition as a hot rental market—it’s something I’ve noticed in my own experience as well.