I had recently graduated from college and was working as a bartender at a local beach bar.

Being a college town with a strong oil/gas industry presence, I expect rents to remain stable and/or even increase over time.

I am a high school math teacher as my full time job, although my degree is in computer engineering.

Properties in other price ranges are hard to find, but there are bargains, still.If you are interested, I can connect you with someone who used to be a student of mine at University of Alabama College of Commerce, and who got himself through school on income from his real estate investments.

Even if you are keeping the heat on to at least 55 degrees, it still could go off during a storm and cause pipes to freeze.  

I was diagnosed with MS in college.  

Looking at comps in the area the property can bring in $2k/month in income being close to a college town and to Poughkeepsie.

The exit strategy is to cash out some properties starting in 6 years for dependents' college tuition.

Does anyone have any insight to the differences or risks of college town rentals vs. properties not around colleges?

I currently work in Biotech, and my degrees in Systems Engineering.