I think it also helps you to be mentally prepared and to be responsible for those items and to run your investment tight and like a business. 

This is the time to make your mistakes; if your thinking like this you're probably at least 10 years ahead of your friends mentally.

After a year of listening to Scott and Mindy on the 'money' podcast after the great recommendation from my little brother, I have finally gotten over the mental hurdle and decided I want to commit to this house hacking strategy and would love to purchase my first property before the end of 2020.I live in Chicago, IL and work as a chiropractor.

I consider this to be legitimate from a local counselor:My name is ______, LIACSW, and I am a mental health counselor with a masters in clinical social work.

So, that is something else to be mentally prepared for and with our rental units we have tenants who are terminally ill no less then two times every year and we make no bones about collecting rent, or asking them who is going to pay their rent for them.

I'm looking at the city of Boston primarily but also in the immediate vicinity easily accessible by public transportation.We are out of town so I'm doing research and trying to build a mental map of the city and the areas to focus on.

The issue is my “real job” I believe is starting to have an impact on me both physically and mentally due to stress and long hours.

@David Boroughes Since you're going to be managing yourself, I'd start by looking at how far you're willing to drive and then drawing a mental radius around Newport or wherever you spend most of your time.Then with that list, see which areas can support the rents you're looking for, and then set up some MLS searches (if you're an agent) or ask an agent to do so for you, for houses meeting your criteria (3+ BR, asking less than 200K, anything else you want).You can also drive through those areas as @Nate Burgher suggested, and try pursuing off-market deals such as calling for-rent signs to see if the owner would sell, calling FSBOs to see if you can strike a win-win deal where the #s work for you, etc.Finding a property these days where the #s work is difficult, it's definitely a grind, but you just have to set your criteria and grind through it.

The "Group Home" designation in Austin, under the residential use, has several federally mandated fair uses- -- day care, assisted living for the elderly, disabled, and mentally impaired, etc.

It will be a mental check for me going forward.