My deadline to back out of my real estate transaction and get my earnest money back was Dec. 12.

I know this because they filed an affidavit which clouded the title on a land contract that I purchased from them.   

I am new to real estate investing and got into it because of the book The House Hacking Strategy.I live in San Diego; the rent is just crazy.

It is possible to utilize low down payment loans and live in great neighborhoods in Chicago Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

I’m still new to real estate, so my knowledge might not be perfect—please be mindful!

its very robust for those looking for land and other things other than vanilla leads..

-Legal Protection: A real estate attorney should draft the seller financing agreement to make sure your interests are protected.Final ThoughtsThis might be a pretty awesome first project if you can work out some sort of low-down, seller-financed deal with sweet terms.

I am new to real estate investing and looking to connect with any local investor.

Things like this are why it's important to work with a professional who is well versed in real estate taxation because the "common/simple" strategies taught frequently like BRRR or house hacking actually get fairly complicated when it comes to handling it correctly. 

@Dennis LiDennis, your question is very common among real estate investors, and it’s an important one.