Not because of discrimination but by the luck of the draw because I run credit reports and verify employment.

Welcome to self employment. 

As long as you meet the credit requirements, have the 3 percent down paymentand have steady employment, you will likely be approved.

Judgment needs to be employed, having to go to court to patrician a property or force sale is costly and takes time, but with the proper agreements you'll be in the driver's seat.

As far as determining a market, the thing you want to do is compare and contrast the available ones out there.

I'm a self-employed CPA out of Northeastern PA and am just beginning to really research real estate investing and rentals.

I'd like to be eventually self employed, but real estate is my primary goal in life.

Must have a steady employment history or worked for the same employer for the past two yearsMy jobs are currently under-the-table.. so no W2's or any official documentation to report.. this seems like a deal-breaker, but on the same token, if I do move to a place I like and commit 2 years in the local scene I would probably be getting more than min. wage by then.Your front-end ratio (mortgage payment plus HOA fees, property taxes, mortgage insurance, home insurance) needs to be less than 31 percent of your gross income, typically.

Were both self employed.

Cities usually list those statistics on their websites and are good for finding local employers also.