I also think this would be beneficial to show my wife and walk her through it so she realizes this is something I am treating as a business and not a hobby.

Invest into one of their index mutual funds (I like Total Stock Market).

Personal finances: (I will leave my girlfriend out of this part but she's a teacher and doing better than me as far as debt goes) 31k student debt (on pause with 0% interest) 9.5K car debt (would be willing to sell/get cheaper car if beneficial but that's a different story)credit score 790 (little credit history besides monthly credit card payments and my first car)employment: lost sales job due to covid and receiving Unemployment (confident in finding income between 35K-55K annually within next month or two)20K in the bank currentlyStrategy I'm considering: House hack a duplex/triplex in Milwaukee via FHA loan.I would split all costs with my GF, live in it for 1-2 years.

Im reading Brandons book on rental property investing but the analysis portions are mostly for when you're taking a loan. like with the 2% test and comparing the ROI to something like mutual fund. where are the best tips and practices when investing with all cash??

I use to be a home restoration technician, so I know how beneficial it can be to cut those costs.

What I am really asking is if anyone else has been in similar situations and what next steps might be beneficial or any advice at all because there is definitely a lot of different directions I can take.

I have Liberty Mutual and have been very happy with them on our 8 properties and all of our vehicles. 

What are some things you've learned along the way that would be beneficial for others to implement in their homes that helped make the process smoother?

You or your property manager need to be using the rules to your advantage in order to make that strategy beneficial. 

I am not looking for it to be easy or to happen fast but I know it will be beneficial in the long run.