I would focus on the house hack and not take a pay cut.

After 40+ years in real estate sales, management, and investing, I advise someone in your situation to cultivate your patience.No market moves in a straight line--they move in cycles. 

This keeps you from cutting corners or hesitating on necessary repairs.7.Stay on top of rent increases & lease renewals.

As interest rates rise, they naturally cut into potential cash flow on a property.

As the economy shifts, there will be new ways to grow your portfolio, but success will require staying nimble and informed.Bessent’s commitment to cutting the federal deficit involves a mix of spending cuts and revenue adjustments, which could directly affect government-funded housing programs and infrastructure investments.

Kid in college and one starting to drive   blah blah blah.I'm sure there are numerous places to cut money for sure. 

A lot of DSCR programs I'm familiar with don't cut back LTV like that until you get to 5+, generally 1-4 units are classified together with maybe some kind of rate adder for 2-4. 

Or cut to the chase and try to get my team set from day one and learn on the fly?   

Just normal stuff that happens in this biz when you're dealing with so many variables and things like that.At the end of the day, what you want is someone who will shoot you straight and who will do what they said they would.

Hire a contractor to cut open the ceiling so it can dry out.