And with that extra cash you might be able to use for another piece of real estate, flip, etcAlternatively, many folks will recommend thinking about wholesaling as a way in - I'm not pro/con wholesaling but this is a different beast and business to consider as a way to get familiar with the areas, and investor mentality, etc. 

My daughter just bought a short sale home that did not have a conforming septic system so could not get a 'conventional loan'.

While I realize there is a huge why pay for something mentality here and in the REI world the fact that you've dished out to be a pro says something more, a different mindset, or a different attitude, and like most of the other benefits of being pro have little to no tangible value. 

. :)I'm a father of an amazing eleven years old daughter who's my drive to do better and better every day. 

House HackingShould I look for a duplex, a single family turned into a mother/daughter, or just look for a great deal on a single family and turn it into a rental myself?

Mentally it helps keep you on track and gets the next one paid off faster and it will be a series of small victories that will snowball on its self and create its one sense of momentum.

I'm Stephanie, a 20 year old with a 2 year old daughter who sells cars.

I was good friends with their daughters, Stacy and Leslie.  

I've been living here in the south since I was 18,  now 42 years young.I still have the NY Northern mentality 100 miles an hour.If you have any questions send them to me.

If I rent out the other two rooms, I can come out of it decently, but where I am looking to live differs a lot from 'good investments' and areas that could provide the best cashflow.The mentality of living in my first investment sounds great, but when is it really not that great of an idea?