Looking to do my first house hack any information would be helpful. Finished my dscr

House Hacking
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Looking to do my first house hack any information would be helpful. Finished my dscr

Romero Christian Helvie
Member since 2026 · 9 posts · 3 votes

I just finished my dscr and am in the process of finishing renting out my old primary residence. I should be finished in the next two weeks. Looking for a duplex or triplex. I want to house hack and get my cost of living almost to zero or close to it as I can so the remaining money I have can fund assume-to properties or to start a BRRRR project. I will have about 150k for all this. Any advice from more experienced investors would be much appreciated. My goal is to long term hold everything and scale to getting 5000-7000 a month. My 1st property value came in at 428k and I DSCRd 190k out at 6.99% and fixed the original house up to rent out. Which will rent for 2350 a month and my total monthly payment is 1723.80 and all remaining profit goes to pay down my principal. I don't intend to live on my profits just use them to pay down principal. Thanks for reading this. After I get settled into my house hack I intend to do a subject-to or a BRRRR when I find the right deal.

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Harrison C.
Member since 2017 · 44 posts · 20 votes
1w

With $150k and no fixed market, here's the piece nobody has mentioned yet: your cost of living gets closest to zero from the spare bedrooms on your own side, not only from the other unit.

I rent by the bedroom in my own houses in Huntsville, AL. Furnished rooms there go for about $675 to $775 a month each. So when you shop duplexes, favor one with three or four bedrooms on the side you'll live in. The other unit rents the normal way, and two or three rooms on your side cover what's left of the payment.

Before you write an offer, call the city's zoning office about that address. A lot of cities cap how many unrelated adults can share one unit, and you want to know that before you count on room income. Look hard at bathrooms and parking too. Bedroom count sells the idea, but bathrooms decide whether people stay, and I wouldn't go past three people to one bathroom.

Then run it like a business from day one. A separate lease for each room, house rules written into that lease, and utilities kept in your name with the split spelled out. I cover the first $100 of the bill and divide the rest by the days each person actually lived there that month.

Aaron's right about inherited tenants. Read their leases before closing, not after.

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  • Romero Christian Helvie
    OP
    Member since 2026 · 9 posts · 3 votes
    1w

    Sorry forgot to include so many things.... brain is moving a million miles a second but the writing on a post isn't there yet lol. I'm open to anywhere in the US where I can house hack a duplex, Im not hard stuck to one area as long as the numbers make sense. I will have about 150k liquid to start this process of getting a house hack and remaining money I would like to use for an assume-to property or a BRRRR

    0Reply
  • Aaron ZimmermanBusiness Member
    Accountant · Chicago, IL · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1w

    My advice would be to vet inherited residents and get a sewer scope

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  • Harrison C.
    Member since 2017 · 44 posts · 20 votes
    1w

    With $150k and no fixed market, here's the piece nobody has mentioned yet: your cost of living gets closest to zero from the spare bedrooms on your own side, not only from the other unit.

    I rent by the bedroom in my own houses in Huntsville, AL. Furnished rooms there go for about $675 to $775 a month each. So when you shop duplexes, favor one with three or four bedrooms on the side you'll live in. The other unit rents the normal way, and two or three rooms on your side cover what's left of the payment.

    Before you write an offer, call the city's zoning office about that address. A lot of cities cap how many unrelated adults can share one unit, and you want to know that before you count on room income. Look hard at bathrooms and parking too. Bedroom count sells the idea, but bathrooms decide whether people stay, and I wouldn't go past three people to one bathroom.

    Then run it like a business from day one. A separate lease for each room, house rules written into that lease, and utilities kept in your name with the split spelled out. I cover the first $100 of the bill and divide the rest by the days each person actually lived there that month.

    Aaron's right about inherited tenants. Read their leases before closing, not after.

    1Reply
  • Mel White
    Specialist · Redmond, WA · Member since 2026 · 16 posts · 3 votes
    1w

    I have a listing that's in "First Look" not fully active yet for a house hacker's DREAM in central WA. You avoid the legal landscape that Western WA has driven people away from, but still collect high rents. I'd love to chat with you on it!

    0Reply
    • Romero Christian Helvie
      OP
      Member since 2026 · 9 posts · 3 votes
      2d

      sorry still finishing up my rental for my first property been busy past few days. I would be interested in hearing what you have send me a PM

      0Reply
  • Wale LawalBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · Houston | Dallas | Austin, TX · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    1w

    @Romero Christian Helvie

    You're in a good place with $150K ready to be used and an initial property that's generating a spread over PITI. For the next two or three family home, I would suggest focusing on making sure that you keep your personal housing expense down and have some money set aside for vacancy and repairs, then go after the next deal.

    Good luck!

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  • Hossein Sharifi
    Member since 2023 · 56 posts · 24 votes
    1w

    Nice position to start from. I'd underwrite the duplex/triplex as if you've already moved out, at full market rent with vacancy, repairs, and capex, so it still works when you move on. And since it's a primary, a low-down-payment owner-occupied loan lets you keep most of that $150K for reserves and the next one. A new house hack every year or so is a realistic path to $5K-$7K a month.

    0Reply
  • Ryan SpathBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Boise, ID · Member since 2017 · 566 posts · 377 votes
    1w

    It sounds like you’re in a pretty good spot. If the goal is eventually $5–7k/month, I’d work backwards from that number first. How much are you actually going to profit each month on the property you’re moving out of?

    When I got started, my original goal was 10 properties making $500/month each. That gave me a really simple buy box if a property couldn’t realistically get me there, I moved on.

    I’d also be careful with the idea of moving anywhere in the country just because the numbers look good on paper. There are definitely markets where you can get better cash flow, but sometimes the tradeoff is little appreciation, weaker tenant demand, or a property that’s much harder to sell later. The one thing you can’t change about a property is its location.

    With $150k you have a solid starting point, but I wouldn’t feel like you need to deploy all of it immediately. Get the house hack right first, keep reserves, then figure out what the next move is. If you’re going the traditional long-term rental route, getting to $5–7k/month could easily be an 8–10 year process depending on your savings rate and how much each property actually produces. You can potentially speed that up with rent-by-the-room, mid-term, or short-term rentals, but those are also more active businesses.

    You’re already doing the most important part IMO thinking about the end goal and working backwards instead of just buying properties because you have money available.

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    • Romero Christian Helvie
      OP
      Member since 2026 · 9 posts · 3 votes
      2d

      Thanks I appreciate the support. The 1st property generates about 700$ a month after all expenses. The second property looks like it will generate between 1200-1400$ a month after the 1st year. Leaving me with about 125k in capital for any other moves and 15k reserve in place for my original property. My original property is all new appliances , new hvac , new water heater within the last 6 months, new tile and carpet thru out. Leaving it in a good spot. left a years supply of air filters for hvac, left a year supply of cleaning tablets for dish washer ,disposal, and washing machine, left a year supply of water filter changes for fridge as well. Trying to take care of problems before they are problems.

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  • Gregory AcsPro Member
    Lender · MD · Member since 2025 · 203 posts · 78 votes
    1w

    Hi Romero,

    It sounds like you've already built a solid foundation by refinancing your first property and getting it cash flowing. House hacking is a great next step, especially if your goal is to reduce your living expenses and reinvest your cash flow into future acquisitions.

    With $150k available, I'd focus on finding a duplex or triplex that still works with conservative numbers. Make sure you keep enough reserves for unexpected repairs and vacancies rather than putting every dollar into the purchase. As you continue to scale into BRRRRs and assumption opportunities, having the right financing strategy will be just as important as finding the right deal.

    I'm a mortgage broker and work with investors using house hacking, DSCR, and BRRRR strategies. I'd be happy to help you compare financing options and run the numbers on your next purchase. Feel free to send me a message.

    0Reply
  • Dan NelsonBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · Chicago and Kansas City · Member since 2016 · 95 posts · 85 votes
    6d

    Since you will live in one unit, you probably need less cash than you are planning for. Conventional financing goes to 95 percent on a two, three or four unit you occupy, so 5 percent down. On a 600,000 dollar building that is 30,000 down. Your 150,000 does not all have to go into the house hack, and that is what leaves room for the next one.

    Two things to ask a lender before you pick one. Will you count market rent from the units I will not live in toward my income, and will you order the comparable rent schedule with the appraisal. That is the form where the appraiser writes down market rent for each unit, and it is what lets the underwriter use that rent. A lender who mostly writes single family loans does not think to order it.

    Also keep cash in the bank after closing. Lenders want to see it on small buildings, and the first turnover comes sooner than you planned. I work two to four units in Chicago, and 5 percent down is the part that surprises people most.

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  • Ashish AcharyaBusiness Member
    CPA, CFP®, PFS · FL · Member since 2017 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    4d

    Romero, a few tax points worth knowing as you set this up.

    On the house hack itself, you'll split everything between your unit and the rental units. Mortgage interest, taxes, insurance, and repairs to shared areas get allocated between the two, and only the rental side is depreciated. If you sell later, the home sale exclusion only covers your own unit, not the rented ones, so track them separately from day one.

    On the $180K cash-out, the interest follows the money, not the property securing it. Whatever goes into the rental units is deductible against them. Whatever goes toward your own unit generally isn't deductible, because that loan isn't secured by the home you live in. Keep the money traceable.

    On your old primary, if you lived there 2 of the last 5 years, you can generally exclude up to $250K of gain ($500K if married) if you sell within about 3 years of moving out. Depreciation taken while it's rented is still taxed. You may never sell, but it's good to know the window exists.

    If you want to map out the tax side as you scale, feel free to DM me.

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  • Romero Christian Helvie
    OP
    Member since 2026 · 9 posts · 3 votes
    2d

    Update incoming......... I think i found a duplex that meets all my needs after pitia it generates 368$ extra a month which will cover my utilities, I will be as close to 0 as possible . Negotiated a 3% buy down for one year so my payment meets my year one requirements of living somewhere for free. After I move it will generate 1200$ a month after pitia and property management fees. This will add more to my cash flow. Also to note all my excess cash flow pays down my principal for my original loan. I already have a years worth of living expenses covered. Property is a duplex each side rents out for 1850 a month. leaving me around 120k left after leaving reserves for my old primary house for future house investments.

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  • Romero Christian Helvie
    OP
    Member since 2026 · 9 posts · 3 votes
    2d

    property is 238k at 7.5% getting bought down to 4.5% first year pitia 1st year is 1328 a month and 1 side rents out for 1850 lets goooo. I'll let everyone know when deal is finalized.

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