Using FHA 203k Loan for Primary/Occasional STR

[Nick Mangiapane]

I am interested in purchasing a home in Big Bear, CA area using an FHA 203k loan putting 3.5% down. I know that a home must be my primary residence for 1 year in accordance with the fha loan requirements. I am struggling to find an exact definition of primary residence. Is it 6mo or over total for the year? Am I allowed to use the home as a short term rental at any point during that year if it remains my primary residence during that time? Side note: I am not talking about renting out rooms while I'm in the house. Ideally, I'd like to rent it out during holidays while I travel and then live in it the rest of the year. After a year, I would make it a full-time STR. Any advice or experience would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Paul Welden]

it's possible your plan could work as long as you do not have any other residence you live as your primary but when you get the 1099 at the end of the year from your STR, you may have some explaining to do.