I am looking for any recommendations on how to properly scale this idea over the first few years conservatively and not wanting to over use leverage and debt by starting small in duplex and being open to triple/quadplex in the future if the right opportunity presents itself.

Also, if you have a below market interest note, if you wanted to sell that note for any reason in the future for liquidity you would be affecting the value of that note negatively.

Future land appreciation in this area might outweigh any tax benefits from buying in other areas, with a better (tax-wise) ratio.Before pursuing your plan, talk to a real estate accountant to figure out if you can, in fact, benefit from cost segregation.

Would the 9-year balloon concern you, knowing you'd need to refinance or pay off the balance at potentially higher market rates in the future?

You may not have done your subject to purchase in a way that protects their future ability to borrow.

It really depends on your bigger picture and also what you are hoping to accomplish in the future.

Looking at this past week's CMI, it's interesting to see the buyer/seller positioning in the SE-ish area compared to the NW-ish area with rates high 6's in JanuaryStill bullish on W/NW future demand due to TSMC factory and other companies (dashboard snapshot below) but time will tell.

What happens if you split in the future?

Since you’re still figuring out where to invest, look for areas with strong rental demand, good schools, low crime, and potential for future growth.

Austin is a fantastic market, with its growing tech presence and vibrant culture, making it a great choice for your future career.