That's similar to the way I started. I purchased a home to live in first and used it as leverage to buy others. Starting as an agent can build confidence, give you a better "sense" of the market, and make you more fimiliar with contracts; However, I think most of these things can be learned rather quickly without being an agent. On the other hand, being an agent will open up more opportunities. If you have the time, I would say do both. The more knowledge the better.....