House Hacking in Sacromanto

[Gyanendra Gautam]

Hello BP!

I am in the process of moving Sacramento, CA from San Jose, CA.  I was wondering if there is any advice/guidance out there for the area for fist time home buyer. I would be working from home so there no specific area constraint.  I'm also looking to possibly house hack my way in so I'm looking for areas and any methodology tips as well. 

Thanks,

Gautam

[Si L.]

I've been in Sac for about 4 years so I do not know all the areas yet and some nice places are probably left out. But places I suggest to look for a primary residence would be Elk Grove, Downtown/Midtown, Land Park, Green Haven, West Sac,  Roseville, Folsom. There are more tech jobs in Folsom and Roseville if that's important. You'll find newer communities in Elk Grove and West Sac. All these are great neighborhood you can settle down with a family.  I suggest spending some time here and driving the neighborhoods to get a feel for it. 

If you're looking to house hack, I'm assuming your goal is to eventually turn it into a rental?  Then you'll be looking at less desirable neighborhood. 

This might be contrary to what a lot of people in BP believes. Why not buy your primary with a FHA loan first? Your mortgage will likely be cheaper here then what rent is in the bay. You'll be able to save up, network, and look for your investment property while you're local here and learn the market. Investment properties are in high demand here and there's lots of competition.

Good Luck.