I do not think options 1 and 2 are mutually exclusive, in fact I think you should do both. 

. - that might be a situation where you would want to work with a contractor directly because you would have lots of different options with widely varying costs.

You should fire them right away and talk to an attorney to prevent the loss, but I wouldn't expect much and it could be a waste since a company that does this will not have the money to do anything.When you have just one unit and you are looking for PM companies, your options are the bottom of the barrel because it's not a good use of the big one's time.

@Sam Ojo Sounds like you've made a lot of positive moves that have resulted in you having options at this point. 

@Tim Holt, Yes INDEED house hacking is the best option for most 1st time buyers.  

I'd target areas near colleges or transit hubs for affordable properties, and I’d look into financing options like FHA loans or creative financing to make the most of my capital.

TY You have a few different options, but a cashout refi on the free and clear property is probably simplest. 

@William Taylor so many options...Use your RE knowledge to: WholesaleFind rental deals to sell to investors locally or here on BPStart leveraging your personal contacts to build your sales businessFind a motivated seller willing to do seller financing:- Move in worst room or basement, rent out all the other rooms for max cashflow- You could even live in the basement and STR the rest of the house

Viator could also be a good option to explore.

Option 1: 15K for 6 month which included 3 times a month 1:1 coaching directly with him and 1:1 coaching once a week with one of his 8 coaches.