Advice

[Corey Spruill]

I have a duplex with a full illegal basement apartment. The house is currently under a trial modification because I almost went into foreclosure. The only modification I was approved for was I think a hamp modification so my mortgage is $1860 a month. Which is $700 more than my original mortgage payment. I planned on renting the 2 floors (I live in first floor) for $900 each and putting a stairway connecting the basement to the first floor apartment to make it a 4 bed which would rent for about $1500 a month making my total rent income $2400 a month. Property is worth $140,000 Question: would you connect the 2 apartments or do the work make it a legal apartment? Also is this property even worth keeping?