Kinda House Hacking

[Kathryn Bond]

So I know this isn't really "house hacking", but I wasn't sure where to put the post. My husband and I are currently buying another house (2300 sqft, 4/2), and plan to rent out our current house (1800 sqft, 4/2). I'm a veteran, so we are using the VA loan with 0% down to buy the second property. I plan on buying a third property and renting out the second, after the 1 year occupancy requirement, but am wondering what should be in the buy box?

Is 2300 square feet is on the bigger side of what we should be targeting? The main issue is, since I'm using VA benefits to purchase these properties, I have to live in them, and because of this, they have to meet a threshold of what my family is willing to accept. I have a husband and two small children. Should our third property be something more in the 1800 sqft range again? Or am I just over thinking this? The area is growing tremendously, both houses are in great school zones.

[Drew Sygit]

Jump on Zillow and look at the rental listings in your area.

The data should allow you to do a rough comparison of price/sq ft.