It really does make my life easier knowing a lot of things (and cheaper too).As my teacher used to say "the more you know the faster you can go"again back to your question. 

No better teacher than experience.

He has student loans which he should have paid off in 5yrs (he puts a lot towards them monthly).  

Also thanks for always being a great teacher!

Take a good look at student housing see below.Locate and attend 3 different local REIA club meetings great place to meet people gather resources and info.

Please feel free to comment or offer advice.Year 1:- find an apartment to rent that's closer to work (I commute about 1 hr, 45 mins one way)- pay off debt (~$10k student loans, ~$5k car, ~$3k credit card @ 0% apr for another yr)- live frugally and save as much as I can (my goal is to save $20k)- learn as much as I can about real estate investingYear 2:- decide on a market to invest in (*)- decide on a strategy (leaning towards buy and hold, either single families or small multi-families)- start creating systems for marketing and lead generation (I think this is key for my long-term goals)- possibly start making offers (depends on financing and location)- save money from job income (goal is $40k)Years 3-5:- make deals- seek higher salary(*) NYC and its suburbs are quite expensive.

You might consider Niche or Specialized Housing like student housing.

Scott The Book on Flipping Houses, The Book on Estimating ReHab Costs http://www.biggerpockets.com/flippingbookYou might consider Niche or Specialized Housing like student housing.

I'm a teacher looking to purchase a house at our county sheriff's auction in 2 weeks (summer…).  

I had some great teachers/mentors I met along the way some of whom I still call to this day.