Start with your primary, rent out any spare bedrooms "house hack"Use that to practice upgrades, kitchen, bathroom, curb appeal... etcNow you have experience as a landlord and flipper, use that to buy a distressed propertyAdd 40% equity to the property through home makeover, refinance into a low cost mortgageNow you are cashflowing a healthy margin on a second property, use that to build equity over time, cashout later and buy your duplex/quad.If it's going to take you 10 years to save up a down payment for a small apartment building, yeah it makes more sense to start growing your portfolio with cheap SFR flips instead.Every market is different, every borrower is different, every property is different, it would be ill-advised to recommend anything without recognizing the individual's nuanced goals and objectives with their next acquisition.

Would it be wise to try a house hack (considering I can find a deal!)

Now, I am also realizing the power of leveraging equity from other assets—like my house hack—and even explored partnerships to spread risk and build a stronger position.

House hack for sure.

A house hack for a primary residence for about two years and then you could repeat this again. 

I am looking to get into investing specifically house hacking and am searching for a small multi fam (duplex, tri, or quad) and haven't found the one yet.

House hacking is not dead, but in general, house hacking with a net positive is a lot harder to come by right now.

Maybe learn about buying a duplex and living in one half and renting the other half out called a house hack.

What are you going to do when someone says “my account was hacked?”

@Guenevere F.can you start with a house hack in Washington?