I've done this so many times it is crazy, so speak with experience.Also in small towns trades can be tricky. 

Can stay in the same budget and use the excess to invest or trade up.

I'm presently a facilities engineer by trade, who does some construction and maintenance for landlords on the side, hoping to get back into the private real estate game.

It sounds a lot like timeshares or partial ownership plans room the 1990’s and 2000’s.

Both offer unique advantages, but understanding the trade-offs is crucial for making the right decision.

I am on commission only compensation, so I moved back in with my parents, and am trading all of my time (60-70 hour work weeks) for little/no money. 

. - Fortunately, our transparent systems allowed the owner to catch it:)- Full transparency - we would have never caught this honest mistake:(An owner also needs to be involved to approve & fund large expenses: maintenance, property tax & insurance payments (if they want to be more hands off), evictions, etc.A great PMC should also have a chat with you annually about your future plans for a property and your portfolio. 

If this is not something you're interested in delving into and learning to a high degree, then investing in publicly traded REITs would be another good option for you, which have historically returned about 13.5 per cent Per year over the past 50 years (1977-present), beating the US stock market by two per cent and even beating private real estate investing by 4 per cent (that's compared with the average real estate investor, not the experts here at Bigger Pockets).

You’re up 40% over your withdrawal plan.

He hires and manages the trades and all the labor.