. $40k will not get you a non owner occupied San Diego property unless you find some unlikely alternate financing.

If it's not feasible due to circumstances I suppose I'll have to adjust my situation (find weekend job, move back to NJ with parents, move to a different state with, etc.)All responses are appreciated, and I am absolutely open to chatting on the phone by the way.My view on house hacking is it can be a great tool to buy a house you could not  otherwise afford, but it shouldn’t be a goal in it of itself if that makes sense and that’s not to discourage you from investing just there are alternatives such as the stock market. so I’d start by asking where you want to live, do you want to own a single family home or does it make more sense to rent in a more interesting neighborhood like Arlington, Alexandria, that’s gonna be a personal choice, Will your monthly payment actually be less than renting/how many people do you need to get in the house to afford that?

In terms of maximizing your returns you want to compare the interest to an alternative.

Or are there other alternatives for tenant screening and marketing while I continue using cozy?

True, there is tax court if they go against you, but for the most part that's not a realistic alternative.

.- If interest rates remain high, this is further upward pressure on rents in the near-term, as the alternative to renting - buying a home with a mortgage, is expensive - this should increase demand for rentals. - Rents are also a function of supply - 2024 saw the most new construction of multifamily units in American history (nearly 575,000 estimated 2024 deliveries of new multifamily inventory), and 2025, while not a record setting year, will see deliveries top 500,000 again - a huge supply increase. 

.: I'm looking into alternative ways to sell a rundown house for my parents.

Or alternatively any of the following that would have a similar outcome.

There is a much better alternative!

Most are traveling professionals needing an alternative to a thousand dollar a week hotels.