@Demiss ShippleyHouse hacking in expensive markets is doable, but you may need to be more flexible or more creative.I agree with @Benjamin Sulka, likely in this environment plus being in a high COL, you'll likely not be able to cashflow unless you have a SFH with many rooms that you rent out individually.

However, there is often flexibility for non warrantable ones too (depending on the reason).

This in turn can enhance your financial flexibility and increase your chances of qualifying for favorable loans in the future.

Consider factors like maintenance, cost, and design flexibility when making your decision.

The background: My husband is a professional homebuilder and we'd like to have more flexibility (we have several very young children) in his workday. 

In regards to skip tracing, find and use a company that has flexible pricing options, volume discounts or discount memberships; this will keep your cost of skip tracing down.

Here are a few reasons I want to move into this industry: I love property (and would love to own it around the world), I enjoy spending time with family and traveling, I want a more flexible life down the line so I can spend more time doing the things which are important to me.I am looking for someone in the UK or European market and would like to have a stimulating conversation with you to learn more, and I would love to offer my time and energy to help you towards your business.

Sta͏ying commit͏ted to your goals,͏ flexible to market ͏shifts, and seeking͏ adv͏ice from seasoned investors. 

In Seminole Heights, seeing those small PDs around does show that there's some room for zoning flexibility.

Right now, I'm mostly a stay at home dad, but my dream is to start looking into that more seriously once my young kids are all school age in about 3 years, something that I can do to earn my family some additional income while maintaining flexibility to take care of the kids outside of school.