It sounds like you’ve been doing some serious groundwork with all the reading and research, which is such a strong start to your journey toward FI and retiring by 55.It’s awesome that you’re exploring real estate as an option, even if you’re not completely sold on being a landlord yet.

Starting your real estate journey with a house hack in Austin is a smart move, especially with its strong rental demand and appreciation potential.

Destin is a great spot for house hacking—tourism is strong, so renting out part of your property could help with the mortgage.

Strong rental markets with low vacancy rates are ideal for long-term holds, while areas with high ARV growth are great for flips.

Having a rental property in Virginia Beach already is a fantastic start, and your focus on BRRRRs, flips, and multifamily properties shows you’re ready to scale.OKC is an excellent market to consider—it’s affordable, has strong rental demand, and offers great BRRRR potential.

Build a strong team with experienced lenders, real estate agents, and property managers, and educate yourself through books and podcasts.

That said, I do this with a a few investors on rentals since I'm a Realtor and Property Manager where I am boots on the ground for purchase, rehab and lease-up, however we had a strong professional experience/life together before partnering.Lending will also be a consideration as most lenders are hesitant to lend to non-citizens given the foreclosure challenges it can pose.

Since it sounds like you have strong W2 income and would probably be okay paying the mortgage sometimes, I'd even explore a 5-10% down payment option.

@Cheng ChuMcKinney is a fantastic market with strong population growth, and it’s a great choice for single-family home (SFH) investments.

This amounts to lost opportunity because if you had purchased RE, at the closing it can start producing return. 5) ADUs detract from the existing structure whether this is privacy, a garage, or just yard space. 6) this is related to number 1, but there are many more buyers looking to purchase homes for their family than there are RE investors looking to purchase small unit count properties.