If it's not feasible due to circumstances I suppose I'll have to adjust my situation (find weekend job, move back to NJ with parents, move to a different state with, etc.)All responses are appreciated, and I am absolutely open to chatting on the phone by the way.My view on house hacking is it can be a great tool to buy a house you could not  otherwise afford, but it shouldn’t be a goal in it of itself if that makes sense and that’s not to discourage you from investing just there are alternatives such as the stock market. so I’d start by asking where you want to live, do you want to own a single family home or does it make more sense to rent in a more interesting neighborhood like Arlington, Alexandria, that’s gonna be a personal choice, Will your monthly payment actually be less than renting/how many people do you need to get in the house to afford that?

As when people lose their jobs, the vacations they take is the first choice to cut back on. 

The water heater and furnaces are all in the basement so it looks like I don't have much choice.

They completely wasted my time due to lack of knowledge and organization to my file; then changed their offer as if I had no other choice but to take it.

@Duke Butterfield no one can really answer whether or not real estate is a good choice for you - except YOU!

Is one a clear choice and I am having trouble seeing it?

@Joshua Lanzieri when renovating older properties there are almost always negative surprises.Go watch any HGTV renovation show and most of them will have this as a cliff-hanger, forcing the choice of either going over budget or cutting back elsewhere.10% overruns happen often, but 50% is NOT acceptable!

$280k home for $2,500 rent is a personal choice.

They may be regulated, they maybe aren't.A Credit Union is a good choice for funding.

The Housing Choice Voucher program here is run by CMHA (Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority).