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?

Dividend stocks can do this.

It is an investment, not unlike stocks and bonds.  

One size does not fit all and I wouldn't take much stock in any advice stating that housing assistance tenants are better or worse as a whole. 

I find  Most people who invest in stocks or index funds are not investing for the dividends.

Can I sell some of my stock held long-term for 3 yrs at etrade to further offset the gains?

It's not just shorter-term downturns to be aware of, real estate just like the stock market can experience 10 year periods of no growth. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/csushpinsa

Hey @Craig SparlingLove seeing someone approach real estate like Benjamin Graham or Warren Buffett might tackle stocks... methodical, data-driven, and grounded in fundamentals.

i work full time too, so i can only do one big project at a time, and can only make about 1 offer every 1-2 months.my stock answer to anyone is to invest where they live - and for expensive metros that includes 1-2 hours out. 

I have $55K in the stock market at the moment and plan to save (and grow) the remaining in the stock market until I have enough to pay off the entire mortgage.