If you have not yet, try building your financial model with this in mind.  

How long it takes to be financially ready is different for everyone.

It wasn't just a financial decision, I'm passionate about RE and way over my previous career in aviation.

While both involve finding and properly securing a site and bringing it to full entitlement, the ground-up process includes the land piece but gets way more involved and complex to execute.The full "Monty" for ground-up development needs to include financial literacy, an explanation of metrics, and how they work.

Your plan to house-hack and reinvest is solid stay focused on properties that align with your financial goals, and you’ll build a successful portfolio over time.

Starting out in Section 8 housing may be a rewarding experience both financially and socially.Good luck!

They can provide valuable insights.Run the Numbers: Create detailed financial projections for each property you're considering.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

Sounds like you are in a pretty strong financial position.

Buying an investment property at 21 shows amazing foresight and financial responsibility.