I found that I have been consciously using the secret most of my life anyway, but now I understand it as a principle to be applied.

Do you want to live in a house(a lifestyle choice) or do you want to be an investor(a financial choice).  

If it is relevant to this financing decision, I am fortunate enough to have a W2 job that, combined with a frugal lifestyle, lets me save $3,000/month currently.

It has provided an amazing lifestyle for me and my family.

I am not confident that traditional retirement accounts that sustain the lifestyle I'd like to live in the future.

House-hacking today often has to rely on much greater lifestyle sacrifice than what I personally did 10 years ago, and requires strategies that would make me uncomfortable like rent by the room, or using local laws that allow Short-Term rental only for owner-occupants. 

When I made the conscious choice to go down this REI path, it took a few years to get to FIRE.

Its becomes a lifestyle.You REALLY need to be into that "lifestyle" since I believe your rate is higher. 

New developments in Manor, East Austin, Georgetown, Plufgerville, Cedar Park, Buda and Kyle are seeing new luxury devleopments that offer a luxury lifestyle without the excessive rental pricing you'd see near downtown Austin. 

But, you have to run a pretty clean lifestyle.