Purchase price: $271,000 this is the first property I bought, I put 0% down on this, it cashflows me about $350 a month. this property was a good investment, and I think I got lucky. my real estate agent found this for me as it wasn't being sold on market. truly a gem.

You don't need to know everything to get started; you need a foundation to build on, and the rest will come through experience and then refining your education.You can build a basic understanding of investing in 3-6 months.

However, if I had started off with a house hack, I could have lower my monthly mortgage tremendously which would have helped me build up my savings at a much quicker pace than I had.

I am not seeking to charge each tenant, only seeking to remotely monitor each buildings water usage to identify costly waste/problems early as possible.

And your simply charging points and keeping the points and then a service fee. ( interest rate delta). 

I chose the cabin based on comps from the last 6 months in my area. 

That kind of shoot-from-the-hip approach can be fun for a minute, but it usually ends up like my old buddy Rick’s first deal.. he bought a distressed fourplex in Tucson years back without a real plan, and while he eventually turned it into a solid monthly cash flow, he spent the first six months sleeping with one eye on the tenant ledger, praying the HVAC wouldn’t bail on him after a hot desert day.

We even allow pets but charge $50.

AND The balance on one statement is < 100 and other not enough to cover the first months rent and deposit.

The only thing I'd add is to do an 18 months lease or so, so that when the next lease is up you'll be in the warmer months.