If you qualify for down payment assistance, there's a chance you can essentially purchase a property with no money out of pocket and not have to pay any costs out of pocket as your tenants will cover your expenses (if everything goes to plan of course).

It benefits both of you to have him move out, and upon a satisfactory inspection of the property, he gets his deposit back.

Who benefits from the Estate?

On the contract side, is it possible to write a contract shielded enough to the point where it is essentially contingent on certain returns/numbers?

You only include the 1099-G amount into income to the extent you received a tax benefit for it. 

How do you communicate with your spouse the benefits of investing in rental properties when they are as conservative with money as it comes; like let's sit on $50k cash conservative?

There is NO benefit for you to take that money up front, but they know that flashing a fat stack of cash will throw some people into excitement.

Which means your "INITIAL" (more on this in a minute) loan amount is $173,700.Now the FHA has what is called a "Funding Fee"...which is essentially a tax that you pay...and that funding fee is not brought to closing, but rather rolled into the loan itself. 

Yes you're right, meeting other investors is essential to learning!

I'm wondering if I can still take advantage of househacking benefits if I partner with a friend who would be living in the multi-unit.