You can only do so much to prevent worst-case scenarios  EXACTLY!!!

I dont know the market in Las Craces.....but in the DC area, we definitely have a seasonal adjustment on sales, and if the property was here, it would have been listed at the worst possible time. 

Most importantly, you will make mistakes, so wake up, try your best, forgive yourself if you make mistakes, and try again tomorrow.

That was my biggest mistake.

House hacking still definitely works, just got to get a little more creative, maybe be willing to do some work (go find the worst house in the best neighborhood kind of thing).

Heck, you could possibly JV with one of em during those early months/years of getting going to best mitigate the unknown mistakes, experience leveraging. 

These methods include:Detailed Engineering Cost ApproachDetailed Engineering Cost Estimate ApproachSurvey or Letter ApproachResidual Estimation ApproachSampling or Modeling ApproachExperience or “Rule of Thumb” ApproachFor further details on the methodologies, refer here.WHAT ARE THE BEST AND WORST PROPERTIES FOR COST SEGREGATION STUDIES?

I can always sell if I change my mind, and hopefully make a few bucks, worst case break even, since I am buying at discounts.With BRRRRR, an often ignored benefit is the security (if done well) of being all in 75-85% of ARV.

Worst case scenario, we sell the seasoned, performing note at a discount.

If you own your own home, you might be able to start by STR'ing your own home, making and learning from mistakes and building a track record you can then try to replicate on other properties.