I just found out today that one of my tenants didn't pay rent and was sent a pay or quit notice but the notice provides them 30 days to pay or quit. 

I will need to educate myself on house hacking and co-living.

Because I need cashflow proceeds to start being withdrawn in 2 years and not today, I'm looking for how I can build up the empire with a larger portfolio with continued investments beyond the initial $250k now.  

I'm using my workout time to educate myself daily and feel overwhelmed, but excited to get going.

Investing close to home allows you to gain hands-on experience, learn the ropes, and be more involved in the day-to-day.

It's like going to those who bought it and saying "hey, here is some cash today but give us 50% of your revenues from all the work your doing". 

I’m also an active member of the local landlord association in Joliet (JRLA), which has been a great resource for networking and education.

It's so important to take action and remember that the best time to invest in real estate was yesterday, the second best time to invest is today!

Plus today's rates for conventional loans are in the single digits, which are lower than hard money.

I know you're house hacking and so you'll be right there, but nothing prevents you from having a PM do the day-to-day.