West Valley cities like Buckeye and Avondale, East Valley spots like Apache Junction and Mesa, or growing areas like Casa Grande and Maricopa are worth exploring.

House hacking can work with an FHA loan, as rental income from other units might help you qualify, but be sure to consult with a lender or mortgage broker to explore flexible options based on your unique situation.Good luck!

This is where the substitution clause comes in, as I understand it.

No market can promise you this.

First off congrats for looking into this realy estate stuff at such an early age! 

Do your research, pick a market from research results not opinions.

I’ve been researching local professionals and would welcome any advice on how to vet and connect with reliable team members, particularly in a high-cost area like the Bay Area.As for hard money, I haven’t explored it in depth yet, but I’m open to the idea for the right deal.

While Colorado's market can be challenging due to high prices, exploring suburbs like Colorado Springs or Pueblo, or even considering out-of-state markets in the Midwest or Southeast, can open up better cash flow opportunities.

I would encourage you to read this beginners guide from BiggerPockets, it's a good bit of information so pick and choose what you want to read or read it all.

The Greater Phx market has many avenues to explore, depending on your goals.