Now, I also thought, "Since the house is smaller then at least my mistakes will be smaller" and that was enough for me. 

if you're up for investing now for a pay-off in 10-20 years, that's great. 

Tax free ATM withdrawals are ALWAYS going to be favorable over taxable ATM withdrawals. 

As an Air Force veteran, I received my start in real estate investing using VA loans.I wish you all the best in your journey.

@Can't you just get your rental license now.   

@Koty Frank,You've actually got some good options here if you really want to begin your real estate investing journey, like you said in the title.If your current home is big enough, house hacking could be an easy first step.

Join local Real Estate Investors Associations (REIAs) and connect with social media groups which will expose you to potential buyers and fellow wholesalers that you can learn from, which is invaluable for your journey.

I later unloaded all those properties for a huge loss, and now I only invest passively.  

This increases the overall return of a new purchase, and with interest rates looking like they'll be going down its likely you'll refinance in first 3 years right now anyway.

Montero, Marine Corps veteran and founder of Summit Legacy Holdings, a California-based holding company focused on building long-term wealth through BRRRR real estate investing, land acquisition, and sustainable development.I started my credit and financial journey with very limited resources, using small tools like the Self App, disciplined credit building, and consistent vendor accounts to position myself for real estate investing.