Duplexes!! Side by Side or Top/Bottom???

[David Ferguson]

Hi, everyone, this is my first posting and I wanted to present this situation to you and get your feedback.

I'm a student who is going to buy a duplex with the intentions of living in one side and renting out the other.

My questions is should I really scour for a side by side place or should I get one that is top/bottom. Live in the lower one and rent the top.

I ask to see if anyone has had experiences. I would assume side by side would be better because of noise issues.....Please help me out.

Thanks!

[Jon Holdman]

I think side by sides are much more attractive. I've lived in a bottom unit, and it sucks. Some nurses lived up stairs, which was fine. They worked the swing shift, which was not. We were trying to sleep and they got home from work.

Up and downs often are little better than a basement for the down part. Especially, in my experience, for student rentals.

But, fundamentally, its a money question. If the numbers work, and there is a market for lower units, then buy it. Rentals are really just a numbers game.