You will want to think about your goals.

just a reminder that the goal of a house hack isn't to cash flow. 

@John Faulk Jr if the goal is to ultimately purchase a property in a market outside of your own, I would strongly suggest working with a local realtor in whatever market(s) you are considering.

Each time on the first two I have bought in my name, renovated one side while living in the other, swapped sides renovating while living in the other, then rented out both sides when moving on to the next project.

Make sure to connect with local lenders and brokers, as it's beneficial for achieving your real estate goals.

My goal is to learn from your experience and prepare myself for my own investing journey.

My goal is to have a mixture of cash flow and appreciation properties.

If you're looking for growth, REITs are typically not the best way to realize that goal.

If the numbers work for you and your investment goals, it is always a great time to buy.You never know what tomorrow holds, so make your decision based on the information you have today.

Main goal is to simply expand my network and nurture new relationships in the industry.