They are not that expensive, and you can easily do it by yourself.

You track all of your expenses the same way irrespective of profitability. 

Have you calculated how many properties or average monthly revenue it would take to reach that goal?

.* Receipts and Expenses: Once I brought to Jenny's attention that we were 20k above budget, she refused for days to give me the receipts, saying that I needed to give her my credit card statement first.

Is the credit over 780 for both #2 applicants, or is that an average?

If you'd live in a tent under the bridge if you weren't house hacking, well then it might be more expensive for you, but most people would live in similarly expensive housing, only have nothing to show for it. 

I am not sure what tools you are using for your cash flow projections but it's possible to have a property that does not cash flow year 1 but will in year 2 or 3 and so on based on average historical appreciation in Austin TX. 

First, most investors and owners of real estate related businesses are in one or more of the following situations1- they’re unable to duplicate their expertise that drives the ROI and they are at their personal max capacity as to time2- they’re obtaining high ROI by use of excessive leverage 3 - they’re obtaining high ROI by taking excessive risk4- they hit correct timing in the correct market, and this is not necessarily repeatable with any probabilityIn order for an investment or business to scale, we need the ROI (on a risk adjusted basis) to be sufficient to cover a PREMIUM risk adjusted return to passive investors; all expenses of managing the assets and the business, and a significant return to the “sponsor” providing compensation to him making the work, risk and time worth while. 

Your primary home doesn't produce cash flow and is a pure expense.

And while crime isn't out of control in either suburb, it is higher than the national average and the schools are medicore at best.