I found an area I felt comfortable living in and I bought a house with an FHA loan.

At the same time, I feel that time is against me.

If you are building on your own existing lot, you are sacrificing privacy for sure, but if you are comfortable with that in this stage of your life its a good way to maximize what you already have than trying to go to market and spending over $1M on a decent duplex. 

These people are living comfortable where they are now but not for long with SCI's practices to just make a quick buck.

Off market deals usually have nonrefundable deposits and a clunkier process that isn't as suited for out of state people until they have good contacts in the area to evaluate the property (mostly contractors that feel comfortable evaluating projects for you).

House hacking is a strong option if you're comfortable managing tenants, as it allows you to build equity while reducing housing costs.

If you’re comfortable carrying some debt for a bit longer, a HELOC or cash-out refinance may provide more flexibility.

My goal for 2025 is to complete 50+ transactions and collaborate with even more people in this community.If you’re a private money lender, investor, or fellow enthusiast feel free to reach out.

It was filthy and had to be cleaned before I was comfortable even turning it on.She also replaced some, not all, of the external locks and never gave me a key. 

Get comfortable with a certain degree of uncertainty but still take action.