I'd venture to guess your tenant is a criminal or drug addict of some sort.There's some truth in your thought but he's actually a really nice hard working young man. 

But when you factor in the convenience of having everything done for you, it’s sometimes worth the extra cost, especially when you don’t have the time or resources to manage it yourself.

Thought about refinancing at the time, but didn't do it before rates exploded.

out of 100 HML maybe 5 do new builds.. and zero will do loans for someone with no experience so that is going to be the key if you have experience or not.. if not they then like to see an experienced GC on your team. 

Once you're ready, create a goal (e.g., "I will buy at least one single-family home, duplex, triplex, or fourplex before the end of 2019") and then do it.

My advice: don’t overthink it—your first house hack is about learning, so pick a strong rental market, ensure solid demand, and lock in a deal that gets you close to break-even or better.

That’s how the wealthy do it with real estate or businesses.

@Malcolm Brown it is great that you are thinking of the money to fund the deals you are going to get started with but understanding what a deal is, I think, should be the starting point. 

It might be best to hold off until you hear of other BP members who have experience with them. 

I liked doing it when I was in Hawaii doing showings.