Intimidated / Trying to figure out which path to take

[Tara Eggenspiller]

I have about 6k so far. By the time my apartment lease is up (Sept 2023), I will have about 10k (I'm able to save about $500 a month at the moment). Obviously, this is not enough for a 20% down payment. So this leaves me 2 options to get into investing that I'm aware of:

a) FHA loan a house hack property up to about 250k. Since it needs to be my primary residence, this restricts me to a decent area in my current city. Small du- and triplexes do come available from time to time in this price range in my city. This has downsides, namely, living next to tenants.

b) short-term financing on a prop that needs rehab and can be refinanced after rehabs (BRRRR option). This option means I would still be living in an apartment after this deal. It also means I need to learn as much as possible asap about rehabbing, connect with trustworthy contractors asap, etc.

I make about 80k/year earned income as a CPA. I am super busy during tax season but have ample time to learn and invest in knowledge after April.

Which route, if either, do you think is best for someone in my situation?