But the cost to play that game is higher than the likes of Eugene or Roseburg or Salem.

Every investor has a different game plan.  

The real estate game is all about relationships and strategies, and this is one of the most important topics to get right early on!

Hi @Tim Holt I think in general house hacking is usually a good move because it gets you off the sidelines and into the game with the most favorable financing possible (30 year fixed).There's a lot of value in getting started today vs waiting some undefined number of years until conditions are better, which could be a long time from now, because real estate is a business and the sooner you start actually learning about that business, the better.With all that said, I always recommend that people analyze any potential house hack as a pure investment that they aren't going to live in, because someday they may want to move out and you should know up front (before you commit) whether you're going to be able to do that, or whether you're overpaying and will be stuck in the property unable to move out because it'll be cash flow negative if you do.So you had it exactly right when you wrote, "the property would need to cash flow when I move out and rent out all units."

So I require skin in the game (average is 5% to 15%) to offset this.

I learned about the power of leverage with real estate investments and now make 16k/month net after all expenses off rentals by doing a cash out refi on my primary residence to get me in the game.

The closest comparison would be bourbon street for college age kids, but bourbon street may need to up its game.  

I own a property management company and am looking to get into the investment game too and to meet people on a similar path.

Glad you enjoyed even if your end game is different. 

This could be an opportunity to get into the game in the area.If you ever want to connect, grab a drink, and talk real estate, hit me up.