This way you don't need to bring as much cash to the table but can still build your portfolio. 

They bring so much value to the table and you never know who you will meet that can change your life!

The military retirement pension will help -- that'll already pay for a mortgage on a really nice house and put food on the table 24/7/365.

@Anthony Hilliard,You’re in a strong position--low interest rate, solid equity, and options on the table.

Figure out and write up a little proposal saying what you bring to the table in a partnership.Househacking with 2 little girls could be risky IMHO, I would find another avenue ......stay on BP everyday and ask questions....

More than once we have bought a second property at the closing table where we asked, "Do you have any others you want to sell?"  

Assuming you have reserves for the property, if you want to convey your view as pro-property or pro other assets-- I would take the net cash flow from rentals and invest that eventually into another property/equities/assets,etc.Last, but not least, you're likely not the sharp at the table but you have the best hand. 

don't let that happen.I want my clients to learn the basic first; Power prospecting and negotiating, if you can't negotiate you can't do deals, in my opinion this the best way to have your way with sellers, I go into details of expired listings, For sale by owners, how to do second stage and sometime 3rd stage negotiation, how to make offers and how to make offer often.Creative financing is a must to learn, lease option Control and Roll and hybrid offers, nothing down, delayed settlements, no money in the deal using "Check Funds", seller financing, how to ask for it, how to get sellers to agree, no interest mortgage, how to offer more and create more equity and ease assignments.Most importantly "contracts" I use what I call a "skinny contract offer" this is a one page document that has all the creative clauses needed to CONTROL the property with a small down payment.I want my clients to understand that it is easy to find and control properties, but a needed skill to assign it, get to the settlement table and collect your fee.

I would probably start by doing an analysis of all options on the table. 

It will let you organize all of the results within a search area and a table view.