First time House Hacking Markets

[Anthony Garatoni]

Hey everyone, I am looking for a market to house hack in. My fiancé and I are currently in Seattle but are planning on moving within a year or so to somewhere more affordable. We would really like to house hack somewhere in the South East (Greenville, SC and Savannah, GA are our two ideas at the moment) but are in a bit of analysis paralysis. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice? 

[Jimmy Lieu]

Quote from @Anthony Garatoni:

Hey everyone, I am looking for a market to house hack in. My fiancé and I are currently in Seattle but are planning on moving within a year or so to somewhere more affordable. We would really like to house hack somewhere in the South East (Greenville, SC and Savannah, GA are our two ideas at the moment) but are in a bit of analysis paralysis. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice? 

Hey Anthony, welcome aboard! Since you’re already open to relocating, I’d choose the market based on what the property looks like after you eventually move out, not just how well it works during the house hack. Look closely at rents, purchase prices, job and population growth, property taxes, insurance, and whether the numbers still make sense as a full rental. Greenville and Savannah are definitely worth underwriting, but I’d add Columbus, Ohio to your list if the Southeast isn’t an absolute requirement. I moved here from Portland in 2020 to start investing and actually got started by house hacking myself. Columbus has a large renter base, diverse employment, and you can still find relatively affordable properties compared with many larger metros. I’d narrow your list to 2–3 markets, analyze 20–30 realistic properties in each using the same assumptions, and see which one consistently gives you the best combination of affordability, rental income, and long-term potential. That usually helps break the analysis paralysis pretty quickly. Happy to connect and answer any questions you have!