I'm w/Bryan, hands on w/supplemental reading / courses, etc is a must.  

You could talk to a local lender and see what they require (debt to income, down payments, #units, etc.) for a loan so that you have something to aim for for a down payment.  

Supplementing with part-time work will certainly help.

@Greg Pasquale in most expensive markets the best you can aim for when house hacking is lowering your monthly cost of living.

I imagine that we would slowly sell off the properties and use the profits to supplement our monthly income until we hit typical  retirement age (when our 401ks and social security would kick in).Would appreciate any resources or advice on this!

It is for a supplement to retirement, or to build something for full time money.

Honestly this post was really aimed at new users who jump in saying they are new to an area, no amplifying info, and then "lets connect" as if thats going to make people want to know them.

I'm also an aspiring investor aim to close on a 4-plex in the coming month.

You can compare to what the market is charging in terms of points & interest rate, but you should be aiming to get the best terms possible. 

Others aim to accept short-term losses in exchange for long-term gains.