If you sell at that point, you should see some appreciation and be able to benefit from at least 2/5 of the Cap Gains exclusion.Just be smart with your lease agreement so that you have the flexibility to sell when that time comes.

I'm particularly drawn to the flexibility and potential for growth that real estate offers. 

@Lor Fara are you flexible on the location of your CPA?

This could be through finding ways to increase the rent on your existing properties, taking on additional work, or finding other income streams.Reducing your current debt levels can also improve your DTI ratio.Improve Your Credit Score.Look into various financial institutions, including community banks, credit unions, and online lenders, which may have different criteria or offer programs for investors.Since portfolio lenders retain their loans in their own portfolios rather than selling them on the secondary market, they are able to provide greater flexibility.

For an LLC, the pros include liability protection and management flexibility.

Ideally, I'd like my first few projects to be local to me in Atlanta/West GA/NW GA market as I get my footing but am flexible for the right deal (out of state or more south/east of Atlanta which I know investors are loving right now).If you are an experienced investor currently cash flowing 500k+ annually I'd love to hear your thoughts on my goals, pitfalls to avoid, strategies to employ etc. 

Also, will I have the flexibility to shop loans to wholesale lenders beyond the one with whom my license is associated?

Because, house hacking can produce great returns, it’s highly flexible, it teaches you essential RE investing skills, but (compared to more advanced strategies like BRRR'ing, flipping, wholesaling, or out of state investing), it is comparatively lower risk, simpler and more beginner-friendly—and therefore has a higher likelihood of success.Here are the top reasons house hacking is the bestway to get started in REI:1.

I can sell my condo, and have more cash in hand so that I have more flexibility on what I can buy to fix up.

On the other hand, establishing separate LLCs for each of you, along with a formal agreement offers greater asset protection and flexibility.