[Calc Review] Help me analyze this deal

[Marcos Cardenas]

View report

*This link comes directly from our calculators, based on information input by the member who posted.

Hello Biggerpockets family! Looking to see if this could be a deal for someone entering their 1st investment. The idea behind this is a house hack duplex. Live on one side, rent the other side. After a year or so, rent both units out. FHA loan 4% down. 

Listed price $339,000

Purchase price  (my offer price ) $310,000

Down payment 4% FHA loan

Monthly rent $1400 per unit based on condition of home and rents in the area.

Monthly  net cashflow $17 after both units rented out  monthly net 

Feedback and advice would be highly appreciated! Let me know if i am forgetting anything , thanks! Property could be found on zillow. Feel free to share with any one out there !

[Ricardo R.]

Hey Marcos,

I took a look at your calculator report, and honestly — this deal isn’t bad for a house hack, but it’s definitely not a cash-flow monster.

Here’s what your own numbers are telling us (pulled straight from your report):
• Rent per unit: $1,400
• Total income: $2,800
• Total expenses: $2,782
• Actual cash flow: $17/mo

Learn to Live Life on Your Term…

So yeah — as a straight rental, it’s pretty much break-even. But here’s the part people forget:

House hacks aren’t judged on cash flow — they’re judged on how cheap they make your life while you live there.

If you live in one unit, the other tenant is basically paying the majority of your housing cost, and that’s the real win. Once you move out later, the cash flow improves (your report shows that too — cash flow slowly climbs over the next few years).

A few thoughts:

1. Your offer price actually helps the deal.
At $310K instead of the $339K list price, you knocked the payment down enough to keep things above water.

2. This deal only works because you’re house hacking.
If this were a pure investment with two rentals from day one, I’d probably pass. But with you living there, it becomes a low-risk way to start.

3. Once you raise rents to market over time, this becomes a real deal.
Your numbers are based on $1,400/unit. If the true market rent is even $100–$150 higher per door (you mentioned it was based on condition vs. area averages), that turns into actual cash flow.

4. Cash needed is reasonable.
Your report shows about $17K all-in for FHA. That's about as cheap as duplex ownership gets.

5. Make sure taxes and insurance numbers are correct.
A lot of newbies underestimate these. Your report has:
• Taxes: $385/mo
• Insurance: $113/mo
Double-check both with real quotes — that can swing numbers fast.

Bottom line:
If this is your first house hack and you like the location, layout, and long-term potential, it’s a reasonable first step. You’re basically trading “big cash flow now” for “super low housing cost + long-term equity + learning on training wheels.”

If you weren’t house hacking? I’d say skip it.
But for a house hack? I’d say it’s fine—as long as you feel good about the area and the future rent upside. Marcos, I really hope this give you another perspective, I sent you a DM on BP... it's one of the reasons I do this, I hope you can assist. Thank you in advance.