Switching from conventional to FHA after I've made an offer

[Tedd Michel]

Howdy!

My wife and I have spent the past two months searching for a property in Los Angeles to begin our first house hack (out first real estate purchase ever). We're very flexible and are open to both single family and multi-family properties. However, If we choose to go down the multi-family route, we will be required to put at least 15% - 20% down depending on the number of units. We technically have enough saved up to put that much down, but I would prefer not to in order to keep some cash on hand. Of course I can use an FHA loan and put as little down as 3.5%, but I've gotten the impression that an offer with an FHA loan is less likely to get accepted than an offer from someone using a conventional loan.

My question is this: How problematic would it be to write an offer that states the use of a conventional loan, and then switch to an FHA loan after it has been accepted? Would this shut down the deal? Is this kind of thing perceived as sketchy? Or is this more normal/acceptable than I think?

Any input is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Tedd