Anyone thinking about home hacking will benefit greatly from your expertise on managing HOAs and how they affect various rental schemes.Ultimately, developing a plan that complements your lifestyle choices and financial objectives is the key to effective home hacking.

It also helps if you start to keep everything the same(flooring choice, paint agreeable grey, fixtures, vanities) the more that you can systemize the better every step of the way will be.

I'm already looking into CHOICE and SONYMA loans

The other things you choose to pay for, inspector, termite inspection etc those are your choice...and you can just skip them and close eliminating the concern about option money.

I agree with you that an actually regulated REIT is a much safer choice for someone with no experience.

Rutherford is an odd combo choice.

So for now you have a few choices sell and get what you can.

Now when you come back you have more choices and can either move back in, or if the rental is doing well, buy another house.Good Luck.

As a new investor, your product choices are limited. 

I'd prefer to manage a property in Chico, if I had the choice between Chico and Redding, for instance.Another possibility, if we're looking at university towns, would be the Arcata/Eureka area.