House Hacking, Earning Income from Your Home

[Stephanie Pappas]

DIG's Monthly Main Meeting

House Hacking, Earning Income from Your Home

Panelists: Todd Bentley, Cindy Wollman, Matt Wahl
Moderator: Todd Hesbacher

House hacking is a great beginner real estate strategy where you buy a property, live in one part of it, and rent out the rest to generate income. The goal is to significantly reduce or potentially eliminate your housing expenses, allowing you to build equity and potentially create a foundation for further real estate investments.

Cindy Wollman, Real Estate Professional

Cindy Wollman is a seasoned real estate agent and investor with nearly four decades of hands-on experience. Shepurchased her first property in 1986—a house-hack triplex in Allentown, PA—using an FHA loan and a $2,500 loan from her parents. By living in one unit and renting out the others, she launched a real estate inve sting journey that has continued ever since.
Over the years, Cindy has built a portfolio of rental properties ranging from condos to multifamily homes, with both short- and long-term rentals. Her primary investing strategy has been buy-and-hold, and she successfully used her rental income and appreciation growth to fund her children’s college education. Today, she manages five doors and continues to grow her portfolio.
Licensed as a Realtor since 2015, Cindy serves Montgomery, Bucks, and Philadelphia counties. Her deep market knowledge, investor mindset, and client-first approach make her a trusted advisor to buyers, sellers, and fellow investors.
Outside of real estate, Cindy is an active community volunteer and enjoys exploring local trails, parks, and skiing in the Pocono Mountains.

Matt Wahl, School Teacher

Matt has been investing in real estate since 2011. In December of 2014 he joined DIG and watched his investing increase exponentially soon afterwards. He started volunteering his first year and joined the board in the Spring of 2020.
For more than the first half of his investing career, Matt invested in single family properties in Philadelphia. Over the past five years, he has been switching to multifamily investing and selling off his single family properties in Philadelphia. Currently, he is investing in multifamily and mixed use properties in Montco, the Lehigh Valley, and Rutland, VT.
For fun he enjoys mountain biking, snowboarding, and surfing as well as coaching and chasing his kids.

Todd Bentley, Rocket Scientist

Todd Bentley is a proud graduate of Penn State University, where he earned a degree in aerospace engineering. His journey into real estate began when a co-worker introduced him to the Bigger Pockets podcast. Intrigued, Todd dedicated the next six months to immersing himself in the world of real estate, listening to two podcasts a day during his commutes and reading dozens of books to build his knowledge.
In December 2021, at 24 years old, Todd took the plunge and purchased his first fixer-upper: a duplex house hack in Willow Grove. He devoted his nights and weekends to renovating the property, which required a cosmetic overhaul, including new bathrooms, kitchens, flooring, and paint. Despite the challenges, including dealing with cigarette smokers on both sides, Todd transformed the duplex into a welcoming property.
Since that first investment, Todd has continued to house hack, moving once a year to expand his portfolio. In four years, he has acquired seven rental units and an eight-bay garage that serves as a self-storage facility. Todd plans to keep house hacking until he and his fiancée, Lauren, decide to start a family, with hopes of completing 2-3 more house hacks in the near future.

Outside of real estate, Todd is passionate about personal fitness, is an avid supporter of all Philadelphia sports teams, and enjoys spending time at the beach with friends and family.”

DIG's Main Meetings take place every third Thursday of the month at the Whitemarsh Valley Event Center, located at 493 S Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, PA. Doors open at 6:00 PM, kicking off with a networking hour where attendees can connect and engage with fellow members and industry professionals. Be sure to visit and support our DIG Vendors showcasing valuable resources and services. DIG Members attend for free, and if you're not a member yet, you can JOIN today for just $19.99 per month to gain access to these valuable events and more.
Networking starts at 6:00 PM

MEMBERS & FIRST TIME GUESTS ATTEND FREE

Visit digonline.org for more details!