New guy looking for a reality check

[Michael Garnto]

Little info about myself: 

I'm 24

Loadmaster in the AF

Looking to buy and rent out

3 years left in the AF and would like to come out with 4 rental properties  

Ok so heres the main question I have. How feasible is 4 properties within 3 years? My schedule is well, substantially more hectic due to being aircrew. How ever, when I was younger I invested in bitcoin(more like gambled). I missed out on the Bitcoin bubble but still have enough to cash out around 50k at market price today. I have faith that it will go up again, but on the other hand I think 50k could take me quite a ways in rentals, and rentals are far less of a gamble than Bitcoin.

Sorry for the jumbled thoughts, posting from my phone. So I guess all that condensed is, how far/fast could 50k cash take me in this?  I've got a lot more learning to do, but just would like to go ahead and get a reasonable perspective on it all.

[Steve Vaughan]

Thanks for your service @Michael Garnto !  Good job having money saved and having an investor-mindset!  I can count on one hand how many of my service brothers EAS's with more than a dollar in their pocket. You are doing great!  Ok- I don't know much about bitcoin, but your gambling assessment is probably right.  It has no 'value'  other than what someone will pay for it.  When I was in, I invested in mutual funds.  I didn't want real estate affecting my readiness worrying about it, or planted all over the country when I got out.  If you do decide to invest, how far the $50k will go will depend on prices in your market.  Are you from where you are stationed?  If not, would you invest there if you were a civilian at home?  Probably not.  I think I would stick with mutual funds until I got out and knew where I was going to live.  Just my $.02