A couple things here, just food for thought:- I'm house hacking/rehabbing a duplex currently, with both sides being 2bd/1ba. 

Now this money is intended to go towards my cost of living: housing, utilities, food, gas, parking, etc.  

Which of the following fast food chains is not in the top 10 global franchises for 2016?

I understand the beauty of leverage now and will def try to balance between supplying my safety net and having enough cash to pursue the next deal.

As an example, In AK, those general commercial loan requirements are:Cap rate of 8% or higherDSCR of 1.25 or higher Two years Schedule C tax returns of property.Inspection with all health and life safety either repaired or escrowed for repairs to be completed within 6 months.20% down with seasoned funds (in your account for over 90 days).Credit score of 620-640 or above.Obviously there are other minor underwriting guidelines depending on the funder, but commercial loans can be great.

I jumped from safety, into the frying pain and straight into the fire! 

The banks didn't lose money and investors saw that and this time around are not going to be nearly so scared of letting investment properties go which again is going to create buying opportunities for you sitting in the safety of your free and clear home.  

Usually do not want the percentage much higher than that because you throw in food and labor cost and the profit starts getting tight.

Indonesian Food sounds good.

I lived in Germany for a while and appreciate the strong social safety net and lengthy vacation times.