Houston, Independence Heights Duplex - Good Idea or Not

[Angus Macleod]

Hi guys, I'm looking at buying my first multifamily in the US, I've found some nice new construction properties in the Independence Heights area of Houston Texas (around $500K). This fits my plan for a couple of reasons, I plan to rent one unit long team and as I travel a fair bit for work I'll Airbnb the second unit when I'm overseas. The property probably won't cashflow for a few year (or until I rent the second unit longe term) but this isn't a huge worry for me as it helps me in other ways. I can save a fair bit on state tax and rent as I'm currently living in California. Whats the general feeling on these new construction duplexes in Independence Heights? They look solid and well built, it's the high crime rates and the developing area thats my worry. Any advance would be great. Thanks, Angus 

[Taylor Dasch]

What do the units rent for as long term rentals? I always run the numbers as a LTR to be safe. 500k is steep for a duplex but it all depends on what each side will rent for. In my market - new build duplexes dont cash flow well but are typically a great 5-10 year investment.