If passive investing appeals to you, real estate syndications or REITs diversify exposure without active management.Best regards, Stevan

When house-hacking with 5% down, returns on cash invested could be huge when you factor in the appreciation gains.

When I sold my properties, the price did not increase much (though there was still a slight profit, couple with the rental I had over the years and currency gain (bought when USD was low and sold when USD was high).

Passive losses offset passive income.

@Sheena Varghese For flips taking over a year, the IRS treats them as business inventory, so profits are taxed as ordinary income, not capital gains, regardless of the holding period.

Ideally avoiding capital gains tax, we've owned it for more than 5 yrs & lived there the whole time.  

Investing in out-of-state properties in New Jersey offers affordability, personal use, and passive income.

Would having the license help me save money or gain more control over my projects?

Converting the entire property to a rental later allows full deductions but eliminates primary residence tax benefits, potentially increasing capital gains taxes on sale.

If so invest locally, gain experience and knowledge, scale up and go from there.