I remember selling my house in MD (close to Washington DC) in 2009 for career movement purposes back to GA, and I suffered quite the whipping to the tune of six figures (all lost equity) on a House I had owned for ~ 5 years.  

It will catapult your career in ways you can't even imagine at this time.You can house hack a single or multi, but if you are really serious about your real estate sales career, be an owner!

Having a real hard time finding suitable GCs who have the availability.

At 35 and living at home I would go back to school, work on a career and save for financial freedom. 

For that reason, aggressively building a buy and hold portfolio early in my career seems like a bad idea, but do you think that buying a duplex early to house hack is a bad idea?

I love this job and it has been excellent for both my family and my career, but I hope to make the jump to real estate investing to allow for more freedom and growth throughout the years.

That is the wrong way to start your career.

Find a career where you can make a good living and work overtime like no one's business.

We deploy, we move constantly, we have important time consuming (and rewarding) careers.

People who have their job or career that can support their families, and who invest on the side in real estate, seem more resistant to market corrections.