I am not ready to buy yet and she knows that, so I'm treating this as some friendly mentor-style help.

Check faucets and under sinks for leaks.If you are an over achiever, drain and flush the hot water heaters every year. 

I will have instant equity but I will not be able to achieve the goal of  covering the mortgage with the rental income right away.

Anyone who achieved poor returns in coastal So Cal RE last year invested incredibly badly.  

That is a valid point, I guess I was really thinking of HML as if it were a conventional style loan..... put money down, get a loan, make payments..... etc.

But it sounds like you have a good idea of the numbers you are trying to achieve with your house hack, so I would first try to find an area that gives you the best chance of hitting the cash flow numbers you are looking for.

We’d like to achieve this with a combination of rental properties for cash flow (BARRRR strat) and flipping later.We currently own a 3 bed 2 1/2 bath in SE Portland outright.

What I have found that should work for you is to find an seasoned investor, and of course shop around for the seasoned investor because not all investment styles or strategies will fit yours, and use their experience to  serve your growth.

Typically the former is achieved by co-signing on the mortgage if they would fail to qualify on their own. 

Ignore the years, go with the style.