Help Navigating the Rental Calculator

[Daniel Wood]

Hello All!

First off, thank you to anyone who sees this and answers my question. I'm fairly new to this and am just starting out. I have my eye on a deal but I am having trouble understanding some of the numbers I am getting. 

So here's what I have. I have a duplex that I am looking at. I am considering house hacking the property, living in the unit that could use some repairs/updates and renting out the other. Both units are currently rented for the same amount, both units are 2 bed 1 baths. So 4 bed 2 bath total. I am also considering using the Bank of America assistance program to lower costs related to the down payment and closing costs.

That being the case, if I look at the property as strictly a rental, renting both units out, I notice that I have a cash flow of $2,471 and a CoC ROI of 27%. However, if I lived in one of the units, the numbers make it look like I am losing money on the investment in the amount of about $150-175 a month. Now, if I am understanding this correctly, that effectively means that I am paying out of pocket 150-175$ just to live in one half and rent out the other. Obviously, it is impossible to live anywhere for 150 a month in the US, so this would be a great deal, at least I move on to my next deal. That being the case, I want to make sure I am understanding these numbers correctly and that this is a decent deal. It passes the 1% rule (coming up at about 1.8%) and I think it would be a good idea for my first deal. Any advice is appreciated. My main questions are essentially:

1. Is this property only a good idea if I rent out both units? Or is it wiser to house hack and only rent out the other unit.

2. If you have used the Bank of America assistance program to cover some costs, how did it work for you? What were your personal pros and cons

3. Does this seem like a decent deal without taking too much out of pocket? Thanks for any and all advice!