Investing with no savings, no income and no credit is not realistic.I would advise you concentrate on establishing a good solid employment income and living a frugal life style to save every possible penny.

Here is a link to product life expectancies. 

Strangely many I talked to aren’t investing in anything except maybe a 401k or got suckered into a whole life policy.

We are both wanting a slower, less chaotic pace of life and are finally ready to take steps towards real estate investing in the Boise area.

For the life of me I can't figure out how to make the numbers cash flow with a 3-5 year balloon payment that he casually suggested. 

We could save a ton of money over the life of the loan, if we were to hold it for the remaining time.I also discovered that we would break even very quickly on the ARM, in roughly 9 months.

The only downside is the monthly PMI which you are stuck with for the life of the loan.

I have had plenty of good rentals, but please consider how things can go out of control and consume your life and money. 

Next, I read @Scott Trench - Set For Life, it really intrigued me even more about the benefits of house hacking a multi family property.

Find a good inspector that is trusted by professionals in your area and get a good pulse on the effective life of your big ticket items (Roof, HVAC, HW heater, etc.) and calculate out how much each will cost to replace, then do the math backwards for what you need to put aside for CAPex and maintenance.