My girlfriend and I are thinking about buying a single-family home around $250k. She would live in it and then rent rooms to two of her friends. I would not be living there, but I’m considering putting money toward the down payment and owning it 50/50 with her.

A few questions:

• Can I be on both the mortgage and the deed if I’m not living in the property?
• If we’re both on the mortgage but only she occupies the home, is it still considered a primary residence and would be able to put 5% on a conventional loan?
• We both don’t make a lot of income right now, but I have around $70k saved. How much does strong savings help if income is on the lower side?
• Would 5% down be realistic in this setup if I’m not an occupant?
• Does future rental income from the two roommates help us qualify at all?

Long-term plan: In about 2 years, we’d like to move out and buy a duplex together to house hack, then fully rent out the original single-family as an investment property.