Reverse-Engineering My First House Hack

[Tre Fowler]

I recently became a BiggerPockets Pro member as I work to move from spectator to participant in my REI journey.

My goal is to purchase my first rental property by house hacking a 2–4 unit property using an FHA loan.

I’m targeting a June–July purchase, with my apartment lease expiring in August. I’ve identified when I want to buy and am now focused on reverse-engineering the steps needed to execute confidently and efficiently.

What I’ve done so far:

• -Saved for down payment and closing costs
• -Actively building cash reserves
• -Funds parked in a HYSA to season
• -Drafted crystal-clear buy criteria (to be finalized once buying power is confirmed)
• -Focused heavily on education:
  • -Various REI podcasts
  • -The Multifamily Millionaire Vol. 1
  • -The Book on Rental Property Investing
  • -Rich Dad Poor Dad
  • Next up: The Book on Managing Rental Properties and 90 Days to Your First Investment
• -Recently became a BiggerPockets Pro member
• -Planning to join my local REIA next

Next steps I’m planning:

• -After the holidays, get pre-qualified with a local lender
• -Use that to establish a ballpark understanding of buying power
• -At the appropriate time, complete the pre-approval process (understanding the 90-day window)
• -Build out my team (agent and vendors) so I’m ready to move decisively once I begin making offers

Where I’d love advice from the community:

1. Pre-qualification vs. pre-approval
   -For an FHA house hack targeting a June–July purchase, is getting pre-qualified early enough for meaningful planning, or should certain steps wait until I'm within 90 days and pre-approved?
2. Agent timing
   -From an agent’s perspective, would connecting after pre-qualification but before full pre-approval be appropriate, or would doing so earlier be too soon and potentially a misuse of an agent’s time given the timeline? My goal is to be respectful of professionals’ time while also setting myself up to execute efficiently.
3. Building a vendor bench (business mindset)
   -As a first-time investor, what’s the best way to proactively build a reliable vendor bench (plumber, handyman, electrician, etc.) before owning a property?

• -How early is too early to start those conversations?
• -What’s the right way to approach vendors so I’m seen as a serious investor?
• -How many primary vendors and backups per trade do you recommend having in place before closing on a first deal?

My goal is to run this like a business from day one — not a side hustle — and avoid scrambling when the first inevitable issue comes up.

1. Blind spots
   -Looking back on your first FHA house hack or small multifamily purchase, what do you wish you had done earlier in the process?

With a defined purchase target in mind, I’m using the months leading up to summer to execute intentionally — dialing in my financing, team, and systems — so that when I begin making offers, I’m acting decisively rather than reactively. My goal is to turn preparation into action.

Thanks in advance for any insight. I know that there's a lot to unpack here. I appreciate the willingness of this community to share lessons learned and help newer investors move from education to execution.