It seems to be much more doable when you are occupying all or part of the property as the owner.You have received some great replies to your original email and I have voted for several of them.

There is a learning curve, but very doable with some tube tutorials.

All of which is doable and the numbers still work but the time it would take me to get it livable just keeps getting extended and that's no fun. 

I think that buying 2-3 properties for between 30k and 50k is doable in some markets.  

. (@45% OpEx the Cash Flow drops to $-14 per unit/per month) However, if he does have Op Expense of 26.14%, then this becomes a more do-able deal.

In your case I would say yes you can but it will be a $50 late fee plus however much per day (mine is $25 on the 5th then $25 per day past that so on the twelfth she would owe rent+$175) if that isn't doable I would issue for eviction.

My first real estate goal is to get my family into a duplex/triplex/fourplex as my first home while home hacking (anywhere in the Plano/Murphy/Wylie, TX area ....anyone have advice on how doable this is?).

Which is doable, by the way.  

In your market the latter is probably very doable. since your local you can just get with an agent look at the houses on MLS  a walk through will give you the general feel for the place... just compare those turn key to mls and see if prices are in line.then if there are turn key your area just go look at a few of those and compare.

4. to really push myself to work harder, instead of tying the owner to an assignment contract for 20+ days without any intent to purchase myself, i would like to lower it to 1-2weeks is that doable (visits, inspection, closing, ext)?