Advice for house hacking

[David Archer]

Hello everyone! I am new to Bigger Pockets and looking for some advice on house hacking. I am a current college student who fully intends on investing in real estate upon graduation. I am a finance and real estate double major, so I am still learning about the business, however I have been reading and listening to a lot of podcasts. My current plan is to buy a duplex as my first house out of college, live in half and rent out the other. Everything I have read and listened to says to always invest for cashflow, however for this first house, would it make sense to buy a duplex that doesn't cash flow right away? I am thinking that even if it doesn't cashflow while I am using it as an owner occupied, the rent will still cover a decent portion of the expenses. While there still may be some expenses I will have to cover out of pocket, it will be much cheaper than renting or buying a single family. Not to mention I will be purchasing an asset that I can rent out fully after moving out in a few years which will then cashflow. Obviously finding a duplex that cashflows while living there is the best case scenario, but if that is not possible, is this a good idea or could you see it setting me up for future financial and investing nightmares? Thank you for reading! And any other advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Mark Gauger]

When running the numbers, run them as if both sides were rented. It will give you a more accurate picture of how the property performs as an investment.