I know the consensus is "The best market is the one you're already in"  but I'm just curious.If you could start over anywhere with a decent chunk of money and a solid house hacking strategy, where would you choose?

My goal is to at least have positive cash flow while I build equity in the investment property.Has anyone successfully purchased a buy & hold with this strategy?

I pay for the insurance and we all split the bill 3 ways.

To secure the construction loan for the duplex, I would use the entire property as collateral to meet the down payment requirements.Does this sound like a good strategy?

The HOA has an exterior insurance policy for the condos (Image 1).

His strategy for contacting motivated sellers for land deals is intriguing.

I would say that you have a lot of opportunities for investing @Randall Alan explained well your financial strategies.With respect to what strategies to choose is depending on what you are willing to learn.STR depending the area is always a good strategy though you have to understand that is hospitality no real estate.Outside it will depend on the country and your knowledge.

I haven't seen financials but they've stated their net income is 30% (spec) and 20-25% (full custom), shovel to keys in 8-9 months.I'd like to help them execute an outbound S&M strategy but I'm new to this side of the RE world (I was a mortgage lender in a previous life and have some familiarity) and I'm trying to learn more about it.

Also, make sure that they are bonded (you can go after their bond if they don't finish the project), licensed and insured. 

Are there specific networking events, online platforms, or strategies that have proven effective for building relationships with investors?