Just a note on landlording: if you do plan on going down this path make sure you research the law and its enforcement carefully for the area. Specifically, if in the future you need to go live in that house but you have a tenant, what can you do to get them out, and will the police actually enforce it if the tenant is refusing to leave?
Also consider the morality of it, e.g. if you suddenly decide you want to live there, how would you feel about evicting your tenant?
It’s probably not a problem if you can give plenty of advance warning (like several months) and such, but if you expect to move in on short notice it may be rough.
Is talking about your hobbies and interests really small talk? I always attributed small talk to the like of “how is it going? Fine thanks and you? Fine too thanks oh damn crap/great weather we are having huh?”