New investor looking to house hack in 6-12 months

Charleston, SC · Member since 2025 · 1 post · 4 votes

Hi Bigger Pockets!

I'm Nick - a 26 year old tax accountant living in Charleston, SC. I've been interested in real estate since high school, and I'm ready to make the plunge with a house hack. I'm still 6 months to a year out but want to start analyzing properties, so I have a good sense of my numbers when I go to buy.

The Charleston market seems to be pretty saturated, so I've been looking at other cities since I'm not tied to the area. I'd like to stay in the southeast and would appreciate any insight other investors can offer about cities in the southeast. Ideally, I would like to buy a 2-4 unit, but I'm not closed off to a single family and renting out the rooms.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

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Patrick Roberts
Lender · Charleston, SC · Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
1y
Good to see another local investor in Charleston. Based on your question, you have two core decisions to make, and they may conflict with one another - where do you want to live, and where do you want to invest?
In answering the where to live question, things about the quality of life things that are important to you and work backwards from there. Some regional cities that I personally would consider are Savannah, Beaufort, Wilmington, Columbia, Greenville, and Charlotte. This will be heavily driven by whats important to you, though.
As far as where to invest, this will be driven by the kind of investing you want to do and your long-term goals. Do you want to buy and hold for long run appreciation, do you want day 1 cashflow, are you wanting to flip and stair-step into higher value properties, the list goes on.
Both of these questions will be answered more clearly by nailing down and defining your goals and what youre trying to accomplish.
Personally, I will not be leaving Charleston unless this area drastically changes for the worse. Investing is tough here because its popular and saturated, but there are still good investments to be made. Life is about as good as it gets here, which is why it has become expensive. House hacking will provide you with an onramp, though, and make it much easier to get started.
If youre not already attending the local meetups, that would be an excellent place to start. REI Central is Thursday night of this week (2/6), and there are a few other local meetups as well.
Happy to help any way I can. Reach out if needed.
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Wale LawalBusiness Member
Real Estate Broker · Houston | Dallas | Austin, TX · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 2k+ votes
1y
@Nick Raffety
It’s great that you’re thinking ahead and open to investing outside Charleston! From my experience, cities like Greenville, Columbia, Augusta, Huntsville, Chattanooga, and Jacksonville offer strong house-hacking opportunities with growing job markets, solid rental demand, and affordable multi-family options. The right market for you depends on whether you prioritize cash flow (Augusta, Columbia) or long-term appreciation (Greenville, Huntsville). Focus on job/population growth, zoning laws, and property availability to make the best choice.
Good luck!
[email protected]832-776-9582 Podcast Guest on Show #469
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Richard Rafferty
Member since 2025 · 10 posts · 3 votes
1y
Hi Nick, I just joined the community myself and was thinking of making a post when your name stuck out to me! Great last name. I recently purchased a triplex in Pittsburgh and have had success with it so far. I highly suggest getting your feet wet in your local market if possible if you plan to rehab or manage the property yourself. From personal experience, there are multiple issues that can pop up and it is nice to be local to deal with them. Best of luck brother!
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Julia Lyrberg
Lender · TX · Member since 2024 · 308 posts · 197 votes
1y
Welcome to BP Nick!!
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Charles JabaleyBusiness Member
Realtor · Chattanooga, TN · Member since 2019 · 46 posts · 34 votes
1y
Hey Nick, welcome to the house hacking journey! That’s a great move—starting early with analyzing deals will put you in a strong position when you're ready to buy.

Since you're open to other markets in the Southeast, I’d definitely recommend taking a look at Chattanooga. It’s still relatively affordable compared to bigger cities, has strong rental demand, and no state income tax, which is always a plus. There’s also a good mix of duplexes, triplexes, and quads, so you’ve got options for a solid house hack.

House hacking is actually how I got into real estate—I’ve done two house hacks with duplexes here in Chattanooga, and it’s been a game changer. Happy to share insights or help however I can, no matter where you decide to invest, or tell you more about Chatt!
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Julio GonzalezPro Member
Specialist · West Palm Beach, FL · Member since 2008 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
1y
Hi Nick, welcome to the community! You came to the right place for information!

-Julio
561-253-6640
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Cassidy BurnsBusiness Member
Investor · Alexandria, VA · Member since 2016 · 859 posts · 460 votes
1y
@Nick Raffety welcome! My thoughts are, Charleston is saturated for a reason! But a really good property, for what you can afford, in a good location like Charleston and wait.
Great opportunities to buy single family house and rent out the bedrooms. IF you can qualify for the $1million+ duplex downtown never a shortage of rental demand, but have to be able to qualify for that price point.
Good luck!
[email protected]540-960-1507
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Rolayne TaylorPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Fort Wayne, IN · Member since 2021 · 15 posts · 7 votes
1y
Welcome to Bigger Pockets! Take advantage of all the resources on BP. I am a newbie and am learning so much by listening to Real Estate Rookie and the webinars on BP. Hope your investing journey is beyond your wildest dreams!
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