Investing Preparation for House Hacking

Investing Preparation for House Hacking

Member since 2025 · 3 posts · 5 votes

I am going to be starting to work on house hacking but right now I'm not in a situation where I am able to do so for the next 2 years being in the military. So, for now I am working on how I can best leverage my income. I am working on how I am going to set up my invest strategy. I'm thinking about trying to split my investments into less versatile large cap style investments the other in more versatile potentially higher payout investments and then the majority in the cash savings style of investments. Is this how I should be working on my investments or for now should I focus entirely on the cash savings until I am able to purchase a property? I am able to utilize the VA loan to get no money down on a property, but I think it would be a good idea to have fairly liquid investments to be able to access the money if necessary for the purchase of the property. So, my question is how should I break down my investments?

I also want to try and get in touch with someone that I can talk to more about utilizing the VA loan how it works, what payments and interest rates actually look like to me get a better understanding of that as well. I know there is some good information I can find on the internet about using the VA loan, but I think I can get some better insight talking to someone personally about it. 

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  • Denver McClurePro Member
    Financial Advisor · Dallas, TX · Member since 2018 · 659 posts · 479 votes
    1y

    Hey @Ayden Berchtold, feel free to PM me, we can chat sometime. I used my VA loan to house hack and it went very well!

  • Wale LawalBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · Houston | Dallas | Austin, TX · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    1y

    @Ayden Berchtold

    You're thinking strategically, which is great. Since you're 2 years out from house hacking and eligible for a VA loan, it's wise to focus on keeping your funds liquid—building your cash reserves should be the priority over locking money into less accessible investments. You can still split some into safe, short-term vehicles (like high-yield savings or money market accounts), but avoid tying up too much in volatile or long-horizon investments until you're closer to buying. As for the VA loan, connecting with a VA-savvy lender early can help you understand rates, closing costs, and how to maximize its benefits.

    Good luck!

  • Member since 2025 · 3 posts · 5 votes
    1y

    I'm not in a position where I'm likely to PCS. I'm stationed at 2nd Maintenance Camp Lejeune and I'm a LAV mechanic 2147. However, I'm not sure where I'm going to be living once I get out of the Marine Corps. Thats the next thing on my agenda to start working on figuring out. That really comes down to where work takes me. So for now I'm going to be focusing on finding something that I can make into a career. I'm going to reach out to some people and see if I can't start looking for job opportunities. I know two years is a bit of a ways out for job searching but I think it will be better to start looking now.

  • Aaron ZimmermanBusiness Member
    Accountant · Chicago, IL · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1y

    I would recommend trying to save as much as possible over the next two years. As needed, purchase items that will further your education that will make you more aware of mitigating the risks of purchasing property. 

  • Jake AndronicoBusiness Member
    Realtor · Reno, NV · Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 938 votes
    1y

    @Ayden Berchtold

    Great thinking!! 

    If I was in your position in the market right now, I'd be as well versed as possible in assumable VA loans.

    You have a huge advantage, and can still get a 2-4% interest rate, even in todays market. 

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