First investment property buy and hold

San Francisco, California
Multi-Family and Apartment Investing
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First investment property buy and hold

Kortez Dejesus
Member since 2025 · 13 posts · 9 votes

I am in the east bay looking to house hack a distressed property in B class neighborhoods. I am also looking for local groups to join about syndication. Thank you! As a first time homebuyer, i was thinking of househacking a duplex but what are the pros and cons compared to house hacking a SFH? Also looking for appreciation and cash flow

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  • Denise SuppleeBusiness Member
    Realtor · Willow Grove, PA · Member since 2017 · 979 posts · 643 votes
    1y

    Hi @Kortez Dejesus nice to meet you here on BP. House hacking is such a smart way to start, especially in a market like the East Bay. Here’s an overview of pros and cons: a duplex can give you more rental income and flexibility, while a single-family home might offer stronger appreciation potential and easier resale. Duplexes often cash flow better and spread risk across two units, while SFHs can attract a wider pool of buyers and sometimes require less hands-on management. It really comes down to whether monthly cash flow or long-term equity growth matters most to you right now. If you’re also exploring syndication, our SparkRental Co-Investing Club is a great place to connect with others doing both active and passive deals.

    Spark Rental Co-Investing Club577 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
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  • Evan Polaski
    Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2020 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    1y

    https://nationalreia.org/find-a-reia/

    Also, recommend looking through this forum for any local meetups to you.
    https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521

    Direct to your question: I have never house hacked a SFH with roommates, per se. But I have lived with roommates in a house. I have also owned a duplex, living in one unit and renting the other.

    The question of which is "better" comes down to both the financial side and the personality side. With a SFH and roommates, it is much more personality driven. With a SFH, you are sharing a lot of common areas: kitchen, living room, dining room, etc.

    I loved owning the duplex.  I had my own space to live.  I collected rent for second unit.  So, other than some limited noise transfer, I didn't have to deal with how she kept the place day in and day out.

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