I want to live in one unit immediately and rent out the other.

How do keep them out of the mess a Live-in flip becomes and keep them safe?

I live in Sarasota and have some relationships and boots on the ground that are willing to help (agent, contractor / sub contractors) but at the beginning of evaluating leads.

Quote from @Adrian Dryden: I would suggest you pick 3-5 markets that you have either been to, used to live in, have family in, would like to visit in the future, or have heard a lot of investors having success in.

Option A: we would move to California and live in a apartment while our main house ( LTR) is being rented out that is in WI to work as a RN and my husband gets into the apprenticeship .

I live in Cullman.

I live in San Diego (out east in Ramona), and I'm curious what you all would say about investing here.

This is how I got started: I bought a home to live in, fixed it up, and waited for some equity to build before buying my next single-family home and renting out the first one.

@Roger Hobbes  yes of course I'm not looking for a fast turn around I am more looking for something I can live in for a while and fix while I'm living there and once I get enough money I could hopefully rent it out and repeat the process 

Where to house hack depends on your price point & what kind of neighborhood your personally want to live in.