Markets, and New Beginnings

[Andrew Major]

Like many of you, I recently read Rich Dad, Poor Dad and want to make a change to my life.  I am currently an Army Officer in the Logistics Corps.  I have 3 years left in my military contract but would like to start out (even if it is slow).  I have been reading, listening to podcasts, and doing as much research as possible on real estate.  I currently am in Fort Drum, New York.  I come from South New Jersey and went to school in Delaware for civil engineering.  I have had internships as a construction project engineer in Manhattan working on luxury hotels and in Newark, DE working on a dormitory.  After done with my service I want to go back into construction and real estate.  I have a real fire for real estate and seeing properties be improved.  My long term girlfriend is also a mechanical engineer and works for a construction management company in Wilmington, DE.  We are looking to eventually quit our jobs and give back to the community.

Our tentative plan once we feel comfortable is to flip a few properties and eventually own rental, multifamily, or single family homes to replace our income to build passive income.  Once comfortable with that we want to try out group homes because we have a passion for helping those with special needs.

As a noobie to real estate I was wondering what people thought about the markets in New Jersey and Delaware. Is it a place I should invest in? Or should I look to neighboring states like New York or Pennsylvania. Should we aim for more rural or go to the cities? Should we stay away from group homes? Other than a real estate agent and a lawyer, what other players do we need to make this work. Being a veteran, Is having a VA loan a huge advantage?

Sorry for all the questions, answer as many if you can.  Thanks and I look forward to being apart of the BP community!