I'm more interested in purchasing 10 homes to have fully paid off by the time I retire, as I'm not living on the cash flow w/ current job. 

House hacking is an incredible way to live affordably while building wealth through real estate.

Live off of equity as you sell or live off cashflow.

Prioritize stable cash flow, good location, and manageable property condition, while considering strategies like gradual rent increases, expense reduction, and value-add improvements to enhance returns.

We are planning to purchase a home and convert it into a community living space for people in recovery.

You can expect turnover costs, losses due to vacancies, and other expenses.

I'm still using it for flips and other investments but not trying to be long HELOC loans as 10% is still expensive money.If you want to talk more, I'd be happy to have a conversation.

If you are comfortable living with roommates, a SFH househack could be the move for you.

They seem to be very expensive and I'm not sure if it's something absolutely necessary or not. 

You will be living in someone else's house.