We plan to turn the small recording room into a small office.  

Also, any guides, info, or direction would be awesome. 

Once you graduate and have a steady income, consider house hacking as a beginner-friendly strategy—buying a small multifamily property, living in one unit, and renting out the others to offset your mortgage.

We are now suing them in TX small claims court as the security deposit was not enough to cover the 2 - 3 months rent after they trashed the house. 

Unlike REITs, direct real estate provides control over management decisions and the ability to leverage financing for higher returns.

I’ve never used them but they do built to rent small multifamily. 

These loans do come from banks directly (Fannie/Freddie loans come from the Federal Government) so each bank that offers these types of mortgages might have slightly different requirements. 

Small upgrades or re-leasing to market rents could boost your cash flow and provide additional funds for your San Diego purchase.If you'd like, I can connect you with a lender or help you explore potential properties in your preferred areas to see what’s realistic within your budget.

Give them direction. 

Quote from @Scott MacComb: I have had contractors just do a small list on a paper napkin, and some do something on a word document.