Investing in real estate

Hi everyone, I am looking to purchase some real estate mostly from investment purpose for now but can be rented out as well in few years (maybe 3-4 years). Not looking for ready to move in as I don’t have that much money currently but something which I can buy for 20% of dowpayment and paid over loan in next 1-2 years and remaining paid over instalments using rental income and 30-40k of my income. What do you think is the best way I should approach this? Real estate industry is very opaque and I am looking for properties which are value for money and give best returns for the buck. For e.g , how do I choose the location, which builder I should go with, what type of property I should invest in, how do I know if price quoted is actually the price of that location and what are the prospects of price increase in that location for the property purchased. If anyone has done any research or has experience in this, I would be grateful for any help. Thanks!