You are mentioning highly sought after parts of GA.I do commercial real estate over 20 years now specializing in NNN properties.Don't expect monster cash flow here for residential.

BiggerPockets Community,My wife and I currently live in Seattle and are looking for guidance in our real estate investment strategy.

Depreciation, mileage, home office, meals, 401k (assuming earned income a real estate biz) are all things to consider when wanting income higher so you can have more access to capital.Most decent lenders will give you credit for depreciation, however.

Quote from @Laura Krukowski: I am a real estate agent in the Catskills if you need any assistance in buying!

Since this is our first time house-hacking, we would love to understand how tenant screening process works in real life.

A down payment will be required on your potential real estate investment.

You can check with your real estate attorney, but I might suggest they pay one month of rent as a penalty and move out now, or maybe let them go without a penalty.

@Eran WithanaI recommend finding an accountant who specializes in real estate taxation, tax planning and financial planning.

You may want to get some ideas by attending your local real estate investment club to see if anyone has ever done this before and their thoughts. 

I’m just starting to explore the world of real estate investing here in the Bay Area.