House Hacking in 2026
I read the recent BiggerPockets article on the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, and I think this could make house hacking even more interesting, especially in affordable markets.
The pieces around small-dollar FHA loans, 2–4 unit properties and "missing middle" housing caught my attention. Obviously, legislation and actual implementation are two different things, so I'm not suggesting everyone run out and buy a four-family tomorrow. But I do like the direction.
Here in St. Louis, we have relatively affordable single-family homes AND a ton of older duplexes, triplexes and four-families. That makes the house-hacking math a lot more realistic. But for that smaller loan space - the 2-3 bedroom homes in parts of our city and north st Louis County - it really opens things up in general and for house hacking.
You can buy a larger SFR and rent rooms - plenty of housing near University of Missouri St Louis for example where that 'missing middle' piece can make an impact . Buy a 2–4 unit and occupy one. Buy the ugly-but-livable house at a discount, improve it while you live there and potentially take advantage of the primary-residence capital gains exclusion down the road. Or find a dated duplex and combine rental income with a live-in value-add strategy.
That last one is probably my favorite.
With affordability being what it is, I think house hacking may actually become MORE relevant—not less.
Curious what everyone else thinks about the new law. Do you see any of these changes actually moving the needle for house hackers, or is the financing side still going to be the bigger obstacle?
- Alicia Sierra
