I've read several books on REI thus far but realize that the great minds on this forum can also provide significant and relevant insight on strategies they'd apply in current market conditions if they could start over with $250k in cash.For context, my family and I reside out-of-country, at the moment, but will likely return to the US in 1-2 years.

BiggerPockets allows you to turn a great post like this into a blog article and then you can post a link to the article when the topic is revisited.

I’ve read an article from fortune.com stating that renting is now cheaper than owning in Americas 50 largest metro areas.

So if cash flow is a big part of your goal I'd likely be looking outside your immediate market.Based on an BP article about best housing markets according to the Housing Market Indices Denver is the best market.

I'm seeking insights and guidance from professionals with expertise in residential development.I'm looking to understand the essential evaluation parameters for residential development opportunities and learn about efficient quick & dirty underwriting.If you have relevant experience or knowledge, please reach out.

A read some articles that some rents may still be taxable which is fine.

Since you're interested in house hacking, sharing with you this article with more information on what a house hack is - https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/house-hacking. 

@Mike Matthews I think this thread is about to be very relevant again.

They are legit - USA Today had a pretty great article about them online.

I’ve been seeing a lot of articles with people (millennials, mostly) struggling to buy properties, whether it's their first home, or for investing in real estate.