First Time Homebuyer Looking for a House Hack

[Lauren Lewis]

Hi Everyone,

I'm brand new to BP and looking for some advice from you knowledgable folks!

I'm currently a renter, looking to buy my first home when my lease is up in the spring. After reading "How to Invest in Real Estate," among other books, I've decided I want to invest in a multi-family property and do a "house hack." This strategy seems like it would work best for me as I'm single, do not have kids, but DO have student loans. Any tips/advice?

I'm looking to purchase on the CT shoreline. Multi-families seem to go pretty quick in my area - what's the best way to go about getting leads?

Side note: I also currently have an *inactive* CT real estate license. Is it worth re-instating for investment purposes?

Thanks so much!

Lauren 

[Lauren Lewis]

@Jacob Stewart, @David Lee Hall, III, and @Erica Larence-Penna,

Thank you all! I am taking steps now to re-activate my license. @Jacob Stewart - you make a good point. I will take advantage of the MLS access.

I did get pre-qualified with a lender earlier this year when I started looking into buying, but ultimately decided to wait. Is there a certain time period when I should go for pre-approval? Is there any downside to getting pre-approved prior to 30 days before making an offer (other than adding a hard inquiry to my credit report)?