Hey BP,My goal is to hear some advice and/or pointers on what has worked for people with experience in what their advice is.Background:I'm a Carpenter in Northern California working for a General Contractor totaling 40Hrs-60hrs a week My current work is mainly Tenant Improvements/Remodels, In the past I've done custom homes as well.I'm sole provider at the moment for my family and am saving what I can though it probably wont be significant for InvestingIssues (oppurtunities):Dont have much capital 5000-10,000 - Saving about 500 a month Dont have GC license yet - Will have GC license in November 2017Will have Construction Project Management Cert early 2018 (March)I'm looking to be proactive and find an oppurtunity to enter real estate investing with a sustainable stratgegy.Current thoughts:- I can work full time and get jobs on the side to add to capital power - wholesale remotly, with savings?

Buyers eventually learn who buys a property and Sellers won't trust they are getting the best deal if you conveniently are highest bid.Just being direct: It's not ethical, sustainable, or in best representation of your seller.

@Ethan Morgan Good way to have another possible income stream, just weigh the consideration of sustaining it and how much value you can truly get out of it.

LOAN-no sustained income no loan.

I'm looking for a cheaper and more sustainable option than renting and figured house hacking (buying a duplex) while rehabbing, then renting the other unit, and refinancing would be my best bet.  

There are a lot of different reasons why it may not be possible.Must be owner occupiedOn properties over 2 units, FHA has a self sustainability requirement. 

However, my initial capital raise was only $187,500 and the overages of approximately $170,000 have been put on personal credit cards and I need to find a way to refinance those at something more sustainable. 

No matter where you live, these rate of return is not sustainable. 

I think the overall trend is what you’re doing isn’t sustainable from a simple regulation perspective.

vacancy is an imaginary cost that you estimate upfront to ensure your investment can sustain itself and actually make money. you do not need to put aside any amount of money every month, as long as you have a reserve account with enough to cover your mortgage payment when the time comes. to make life easier, some investors will put this percentage aside every month to fund their reserve account, but it truly can come from your pocket, a line of credit, or any other vehicle you use.