Need Some Financial Advice for Starting!

[Thomas O'Donnell]

Hello all, I currently plan on house-hacking my first property within the next year or as soon as I can. I will be moving to either Austin or San Antonio, depending on which is a better fit. I am currently working overtime to try and save up capital needed to move and get started on a FHA loan. I have pretty good credit for my age (740+), and can transfer with my job if needed. The current problem I am facing is having the required capital. At the moment I have a stock portfolio worth $9k, and I have $2k in cash.

Question: Should I sell my stock portfolio when the time comes so I can use that money to put towards a down payment on FHA loan? Or should I keep my portfolio separate and just keep saving up cash?

My fear is I do not want to wait too long to get started, as rates keep rising as well as prices. I've spent the last year educating myself on real estate investing and how to use it to obtain financial freedom. I want more than anything to begin this journey and live the life we all deserve! Any advice or input is greatly appreciated! Thank you all!