I have a more realistic mindset on what to expect now. 

People just keep getting tricked by the high number, go for a realistic one and be happy. 

you cannot realistically buy real estate when you have no personal funds.but what you can do is work to put a partnership together where you find a money partner and you guys do a JV  money partner you do the work.. this can happen if you find someone who takes a shine to you and wants to help U

technically yes but I am not sure how realistic it is unless its a very large parcel. reason I say that is typically when you give up rights they will use them (for example oil well), which requires access etc.

As a CPA and real estate investor who is a general partner in two syndications, I want to share some practical advice to set realistic expectations.

Rooming houses dwindled in numbers, and zoning regulations took out the rest.Now apartments in popular suburbs are as expensive as in center cities, and for people of even moderate means their own apartment or house may not be realistic financially.  

It all comes down to how many can you realistically fit.  

The only way to answer that in general (whether house hacking in today's market is still a good option) or for a particular property, is to learn how to run the numbers and analyze a specific property to see whether it will be able to stand on its own as an investment when you move out someday.There are a lot of resources here on BP for doing that but I'd just say, make sure the assumptions you're putting into your spreadsheet or deal analyzer are realistic.Make sure the rents (especially for vacant units or pro-forma #s) are realistic by doing your own rent comps; make sure the mortgage rate is realistic by doing some research online and/or talking to some mortgage folks; make sure insurance #s are realistic by getting a couple of quotes for the # of units and zip code / area you're looking in; etc.I hope that helps, and good luck 😊

In most cases, 6-12 months is a more realistic timeline, especially for larger rehabs or when you’re trying to maximize the property’s after-repair value.

I started looking more into Putnam county and I have definitely been seeing deals that are more realistic for me.