We plan to buy a property to begin our investing career, but we also need a place to live!

I couldn't be more excited about moving and starting my REI career once there. 

We're in the early part of my career, but have already had successes with real estate. 

I assume I need to run the numbers for my area on multi families to see if that 15k would even touch a down payment amount suitable for a reasonable starting complex.

If yest, then keep more equity in the property.2) Where are you in your career and on your path towards retirement?

She can move out whenever she finds a suitable replacement whether that be tomorrow or 6 months from now.

Then in the future if one leaves, allow them to find another suitable roommate, as long as they will meet your qualifications.

I like the Wack a Mole analogy.. if I think back on my career in this game that started in 75.there were all distinct and different events that perpetuated a slow down or price compression in real estate75.... coming out of VN war  soft economy83 - 85  sky high mortgage and interest rates  ( SL crisis  but a lot of money was made picking up those deals)89 to 92  in bay area  Earth quake and war.. prices in SF and bay area compressed 20 to 50%  ( we have short memories.) but that was also pre high tech.2000  dot com bomb  short lived 2001  Bin laden short lived07 to 2011  global credit crisis worse i have ever seen or I think any one basically living ever saw.. worse than great depression in many areas...

I left there to start a new life and career in Las Vegas because it only made sense to me to move to the place that everyone goes to train or attend conferences.

If you can't handle $100,503 and it must be $100,500 in order for you to not delay your clients closings then perhaps what you really need to do is re-evaluate either your math, software, business model and/or career choice.