House Hacking in 2026

House Hacking in 2026

Alicia SierraBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Saint Louis, MO · Member since 2015 · 132 posts · 70 votes

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 - EXP REALTY4.953 Reviews
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Investor · Milwaukee - Mequon, WI · Member since 2010 · 5k+ posts · 7k+ votes
1mo

House hacking is a financial no-brainer, but it comes with extra work and you have to share you property with others. In our case (Milwaukee) that is usually a duplex and that's bad enough to hear every move of your tenant above you, day and yes, night too. But house hacking a SF really takes it to another level. I can't imagine anyone suffering through this for more than a year maybe, then what?

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  • Investor · Milwaukee - Mequon, WI · Member since 2010 · 5k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    1mo

    House hacking is a financial no-brainer, but it comes with extra work and you have to share you property with others. In our case (Milwaukee) that is usually a duplex and that's bad enough to hear every move of your tenant above you, day and yes, night too. But house hacking a SF really takes it to another level. I can't imagine anyone suffering through this for more than a year maybe, then what?

    • Alicia SierraBusiness Member
      OP
      Real Estate Agent · Saint Louis, MO · Member since 2015 · 132 posts · 70 votes
      1mo
      Quote from @Marcus Auerbach:

      House hacking is a financial no-brainer, but it comes with extra work and you have to share you property with others. In our case (Milwaukee) that is usually a duplex and that's bad enough to hear every move of your tenant above you, day and yes, night too. But house hacking a SF really takes it to another level. I can't imagine anyone suffering through this for more than a year maybe, then what?

      I have had a few clients do it. One had 2 roommates already lined up (friends) so she just became their landlord - pretty smart in my opinion.  Another, is active in rugby leagues and leased rooms furnished to players at a premium.  He also finished a mini apt in the basement and created a separate entrance.  I cannot imagine it either- but I am not in my 20s ! I think it's a smart move and then they have time to increase income and can eventually have the whole house to themselves! 

      Alicia Sierra - EXP REALTY4.953 Reviews
  • Real Estate Broker · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2015 · 299 posts · 90 votes
    1mo

    Pretty much a more modern version of having roommates.  There will be a time when there is a disagreement between them, and one wants to move out and the other wants to stay paying 1/2 the rent.  I had the primary tenant on the lease who was ultimately responsible for the unpaid rent. 

  • Drew SygitBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 12k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    1mo
    Quote from @Alicia Sierra:

    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?


    How will it impact the market when the affected entities own less than 5% of nationwide SFR rentals?

    A better question is what specific markets have the highest percentage of entity ownership that might benefit?

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

    @Alicia Sierra

    I believe that the house hacking deal will become all the more lucrative if this change is implemented since it makes financing 2-4 unit properties easier. However, in a market like St. Louis, the greater potential might lie in purchasing a property that has already been established and making relatively minor improvements.

    Good luck!

  • Gregory AcsPro Member
    Lender · MD · Member since 2025 · 162 posts · 62 votes
    1mo

    I think the biggest opportunity is that anything making 2-4 unit owner-occupied properties more accessible could encourage more people to consider house hacking instead of viewing it as something only experienced investors can do. That said, I agree that the details matter. Proposed legislation is one thing, but how lenders implement it and when those changes actually become available will determine the real impact.

    Even if some of these changes move forward, I think the fundamentals stay the same. Buyers still need to make sure the property works based on realistic rental income, reserves, and their long-term budget rather than stretching just because financing becomes more accessible.

    I'm curious to see how much this affects first-time buyers versus people who were already planning to house hack. Do you think it will actually bring more owner-occupants into the 2-4 unit market, or mostly benefit buyers who were already pursuing that strategy?

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