Furthermore, recent anecdotes of individuals earning significant wages yet lacking savings highlight the fragility of personal finances amidst rising living costs.

I’m a former college baseball player and retired professional ballroom dancer, with a passion for entrepreneurship and real estate investment.

I was raised by "Poor Dad (parents)" who taught me those concepts growing up, and is still mostly their values, but they were also lucky enough to have lived in a time where that worked well enough for them as they retired with a very nice nest egg.

Original plan was to fix up, rent, get some tax savings, and refi.

If that saves the time removing the baseboards that would be great :)

It would be wise to have at least three months of rent saved up at all times to cover the unexpected.

If you still can't fill the place with decent tenants, then sell the property and save your sanity and your money.

Maybe, maybe notYou have to weight the pros / cons along with the risks.Your BP mentions you are 'new to real estate'.You are getting into a new asset class along with a business(I consider a STR more of a business than an investment).How much will you save in taxes?

Your situation isn't to complex for the right tax professional to save you money. 

As I’m starting my real estate investment journey, would it be a wise decision to rent out my primary residence and seek a temporary rental for myself while I save money to purchase an additional property for investment?