Another concern is after the two years, I still wouldn’t be lendable for most properties in my markets due to that lack of income. 

Thanks Sarah, I don’t see much house hacking going on in Essex or Dundalk in terms of listings on Zillow or FB so my concern would be finding professional adult roommates that want to house share in that area. i’ve been following a lot of the midterm rental groups in Facebook and the consensus is that contracts have decreased significantly and hospitals are using more local labor pools.

I’d love to hear your tips, lessons learned, or even beginner mistakes to avoid.

I’m also concerned about challenges like dealing with difficult tenants and navigating new taxes.

You’ll likely find a strategy that aligns with your goals and lifestyle.Since you’ve been enjoying the BiggerPockets Money podcast, I’d also recommend checking out the Real Estate Rookie podcast—it’s great for diving into beginner-friendly strategies and learning from others who’ve been in your shoes.Feel free to reach out if you want to chat more or bounce around ideas.

I have voiced several concerns with no responses.

Start with BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginners Guide (free).

This would apply to your unit.Your biggest concern with setting the rent should be the near future. 1) Your insurance is guaranteed to go up, probably dramatically.  2) You may get an insurance assessment bill to cover the CA Fair Plan losses.

Start with BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginners Guide (free).

It is a common concern, I think if you are writing competitive offers then you can request a discount.