Therefore, they didn't know they only had some surface knowledge of Real Estate and Investing in general.I had achieved being in the top 10% of my field of work, in this case, Computer Science, and worked as a programmer and compensated for my pay grade.I then learned everything I could.

On the surface, yes, if I can move from a lower to higher return on equity, then it would make a lot of sense, but I believe people have to be cognizant of all the risks involved. 

They will come in with an x-ray gun and test every surface.

David, The most difficult part about painting exterior is the preparation.Usually you need to "stabilize" the surface prior to painting it.

Glue down plank works well but as with all hard surface installs in multi tenant units you have to be concerned regarding sound proofing on second floors and up (many cities now have ordinances so check).

We're looking for our first house hack as well so I'm hoping to see some deals surface in the next few months but the progress on the virus will be one of the major factors contributing to how accessible these deals become.

(pillows and stuffed animals can be put directly in the dryer on high heat). we took all the furniture apart that we could, and covered the entire room with diatomaceous earth(including taking dresser drawers out and getting every nook and cranny- being thorough is key), pulling all small items, picture frames, legos, toys, candlesticks, anything on the walls, in the closets, storage items- everything we didn't cover in de, in the center of the room and/or soaked in tubs of vinegar. we wrapped the legs of all furniture that couldn't be taken apart with saran wrap, and placed them in shallow bowls of vaseline(makeshift trap). when the bedding and fabric items came out of the dryer, we bagged them in garbage bags, and secured the bags with packing tape, making sure there were no cracks or tears, then put them in the center of the room. 4. we did that to each bedroom, the living room, dining room, and bathroom. in the kitchen, we puffed de behind the switch plates with the foam inserts, and under appliances that generate heat(heat=bedbug food). 5. we let it sit like that for two weeks, and when we were done, we cleaned thoroughly. we bought a good handheld steamer for everything that could be steamed. we cleaned one room at a time, starting with a vacuum, and wiping the de of hard surfaces. we left de in the nooks and crannies(by the way- they CAN live behind wallpaper, and even the tags sewn onto mattresses), and made sure that everything we put back from the center of the room was steamed, vacuumed, or wiped off thoroughly. we replaced every mattress and bought good covers for each of them, as a preventative measure. also as preventative measures, we left the de under appliances, we left the foam inserts behind the switch plates, and for a few weeks after, we left the vaseline traps in place.

Wipe down all hard surfaces surfaces with a disinfectant product.

If you don't understand what you need to do to make this situation work, call an electrician.If not cutting into the wall is an absolute requirement, you can get surface-mountable two-gang electrical boxes. 

Your winters are no colder than ours and hard surfaces are fine - if floors are cold, the problem is generally the building envelope and not the finish floors themselves.