House Hacking in Maryland during COVID

[Joy O.]

Hello all, i'm a newish member in the DC-Maryland metro area, looking to get started in REI with house hacking using an FHA loan, which I was recently pre-approved for. I currently live with my parents rent free closer to Columbia/Baltimore, but would like to move closer to the DC area, so Montgomery and PG Counties. My questions would be:

- Is now a good time to buy for a primary house hack if i'm in no rush? While the low interest rates are attractive, in this market I'm not the most competitive with the low FHA DP, and buying something over asking or with a larger than required DP doesn't make sense to me. I'm in no rush, if waiting even just a few months is better or be more convenient

- can one still fare well with a fairly retail, turn-key SFR?

- (local) What areas in MoCo/PG would be ideal for decent value and/or cash flow? I'm looking to stay within ~30-45 mins of Tyson's Corner/Fairfax, so mostly along the 495 corridors 

Thanks in advance for the guidance!