When the economy tanks and the sponsors compensation is drastically reduced, the sponsor makes the decision to maintain there lifestyle at the investor’s expense. 

Inspect regularly, then remove the tenants who can't maintain their units in decent condition.

After I close I will still have 30k in immediate cash and I have stock market investments that are another 30k, so even more frustrating that it's not even a monetary issue

And I maintain that IRS Publications are not an authority for anything and contain multiple errors.

Continue acquiring properties in promising markets to build your portfolio while keeping an eye on interest rates to potentially refinance your high-interest loan for better cash flow.Save capital to maintain liquidity, allowing you to act quickly when market conditions improve or unexpected expenses arise.

There are many benefits to maintaining a mortgage.

She would learn and teach me about investing in stocks and I would learn and teach her about real estate investing.

Arent big institutional buyers companies on the stock market , which are owned by stockholders , who could be you or me ?

Even with a well-maintained home, routine issues can pop up unexpectedly, and it might be challenging to coordinate repairs or address tenant concerns from a distance, especially if there's a significant time difference.While the 7% to 10% fee for a property manager can seem like an unnecessary expense, it can provide peace of mind, especially if you won't be readily available.

If you plan on paying cash for a house hack then it's just a matter of much cash fo you have to purchase and do you have at least 6 months of reserves available to maintain the home when you're not brining in incomeThose are my thoughts