If it's not feasible due to circumstances I suppose I'll have to adjust my situation (find weekend job, move back to NJ with parents, move to a different state with, etc.)All responses are appreciated, and I am absolutely open to chatting on the phone by the way.My view on house hacking is it can be a great tool to buy a house you could not  otherwise afford, but it shouldn’t be a goal in it of itself if that makes sense and that’s not to discourage you from investing just there are alternatives such as the stock market. so I’d start by asking where you want to live, do you want to own a single family home or does it make more sense to rent in a more interesting neighborhood like Arlington, Alexandria, that’s gonna be a personal choice, Will your monthly payment actually be less than renting/how many people do you need to get in the house to afford that?

I got caught and lost my money and more and more people are also reporting similar circumstances. 

I know I already mentioned this, but @Mordy Chaimovitz...If you can get by with lower cash flow and invest for the long-term generational wealth (aka appreciation) in nice neighborhoods, that is the way to go, but it's tough to get by at times -- at least it is for me.Just know everyone's situation is different, and you should do what is best for your specific circumstances!

I could be way off, but I really don't think you can buy homes at the tax sale in most circumstances with $100-$200,000 spreads between purchase and sales price. 

I have wanted to flip since the early 2000's but never could due to extenuating circumstances.

I know there has been some other forum posts on this topic, but I was hoping to note my circumstances here. 

It is imperative to have a cash reserve for unforeseen circumstances, such as unanticipated maintenance or fluctuations in the market.

However, short term rentals are much less passive than long term rentals and are essentially a hospitality business, which is in and of itself required a whole additional layer of knowledge and expertise.With regard to your question about private lenders, it’s important to draw a distinction in terminology between “private” and “hard money.”

Effectively a 'Firestorm' is a dry hurricane that rains fire, with nearly indefensible circumstances, just like the catastrophic flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes and other disasters they have and will intensify in severity and rapidity.Beyond directly impacted property owners, investors, insurers and businesses, the downhill effects of the SoCal fires on the immediate and surrounding areas are astronomical and still somewhat incomprehensible.

It’s important to recognize that your landlord likely isn’t thinking about selling the property right now, especially given their personal circumstances.