House hacking can also help you offset your living expenses and gain experience managing a property.Also, building a strong foundation is crucial to you success.

@Jay DeckerThe great thing is that you live within Washington State which does not have a state income tax.You may be required to file a non-resident return with Ohio and Iowa.

That can work if you live 5 minutes away. 3 hours, not so much.

I live in Northern NJ and as I mentioned the barrier of entry for me in NJ is too high.

It's tougher to get cash flow upon move out these days but if you're patient, willing to do some work, or live in lower cost/fringe areas you can make it happen or at minimum put a serious dent in your housing expense which is still a win in my opinion compared to renting or buying just a primary home.Also if you're a bit short on cash, make getting a seller credit part of your financing strategy.

As the representative for the tenant, I oversaw a remarkable six-month renovation project on a 15,000SF project that revitalized the property from an uninhabitable church to a stunning showcase car dealership.

@Justin R. we have live reports for our owner clients on their portal that cover this.

All the homes I buy are in f'd up areas that I would never live in.

Actually Doug most of them were living in their Mothers garage and well found this system and they are now driving lambos etc.. its a common housing situation for the guru ..

Look for a community of active owners who are determined to curate a great place to live.