Converting a 4-Plex into a 5 Unit

[Igor Messano]

This year I am looking into moving into commercial sized multi families (5+ units) and just so happens that an interesting property went up for sale around the corner from my primary residence. The property is a 4-unit which was converted from a very large SFH. The seller has acquired the zoning variance to legally have a multi unit, However the setup of the units is still very inefficient and could potentially be leveraged into 5 units with some rehab.

One advantage that this property has for me financially is that I can buy it as an owner occupied and pay little down payment. However, are there any issues with zoning when increasing the # of units from 4 to 5 since 5 is officially commercial?