The national guard was active and the entire city was on a lock down.

It's sad to see so many investors get excited about starting their journey but then lose steam because they get stuck in the marketing phase - never giving themselves an opportunity to actually get a seller on the phone and do the fun part of investing - locking up contracts!

You’ve got two parallel plays: 1) The condo: don’t move a dollar until the HOA gives a written green light on your desired rental type; if restricted, price a sale vs LTR hold and include dues, special assessments, and an off‑ramp if they delay. 2) The house‑hack: use the bank grant plus your cash to target a small multifamily you can live in; lock financing first, verify rents in writing, and buy light‑rehab so you’re not managing two rehabs out of state.

Pick one clear buy box for small multis, lock 2–3 cash‑flow markets, and build your Core Four there fast with quick test tasks to vet an agent, PM, and contractor.

Higher DOM adds pressure to accept a lower offer, but keep in mind a lot sellers "locked in" super low interest rates.

long story but basically it is fairly easy for these homes to get hijacked, locks changed, and "rented out" as a scam to get deposits. 

With a baby due next month, I’d probably lock in a good long-term tenant for now (even if it’s slightly below market), then revisit the MTR setup in spring when life settles down.

We're just having trouble locking in the location that'd be best for house hacking. 

While some homeowners are locked into 2–3% loans, nearly two-thirds of Americans have rates between 3% and 6%—and they’re ready to move when affordability improves.Translation: once rates dip, the market could ignite fast.

Now is a great time to " zig when others zag " and lock up some deals that other buyers aren't jumping on because of the rates.