I would really appreciate some guidance on a current deal that I am trying to work out for my mother.

It's also commonly said that loans are non-recourse, so the borrower is safe in case things don't work out.

I am interested in your story on the house hacking goal and how that will workout for you.

As we know, the multi family space is intensely competitive and pretty crowded, so I was wondering if there are any other niches out there that folks have been able find success in

I also like to work out, bike, hike, and really anything that will keep me active.

Work out a buyout but do not put her in control of placing your next tenant.   

The speculation of development in that market may, and I stress may, show higher returns but it is very labor intensive and you would likely be competing with established high performing firms already in the space.A post like the subject line in the will likely get a lot of attention and most will suggest their preferred method of investment from passive to active like the two methods you mentioned.

I set up an account and tried the application, it was very intense.

Work out how much you think you'll get for rent.

That all being said, if you have a relationship with an agent it wouldn't be surprising to work out a deal with them if you're doing a lot of business with them.