House hacking in out of state college

[Luke Mertz]

I'm going to an out of state university and I potentially could house hack to save on room fees + rent out to college roommates. Any thoughts on this strategy?
Also when I come home over the summer what should I do with the property as for roughly 2 months I would be about 4 hours away which would not be ideal for a young investor. Is this a viable strategy or not smart?

[Arman Ahmed]

@Luke Mertz

Hey, this is actually how a lot of people get started — and it’s a super smart move. I’ve seen folks do exactly this and use the cash flow from roommates to cover their mortgage or even come out ahead. I invest in Ohio, and even here, house hacking around universities works really well when done right.

For the summer when you’re away, you’ve got options:

• You can sublet to summer school students or interns.
• List it as a short-term rental (if your area allows).
• Or just have someone local keep an eye on things — you’re only 4 hours away, so you can still manage remotely with the right setup.

As long as you screen tenants properly and treat it like a business from the beginning, it’s a solid way to start building equity early. Definitely a viable strategy if the numbers make sense!