Question: Requirement for primary residence FHA Loan

[Nathan Fernandez]

Hello BiggerPockets Forums!

I currently live in the suburbs of Chicago, and have a mortgage on my house. I am looking into ways to purchase real estate with little money down.

I work downtown, and it is a 1.5 hour commute into the city. I would love to use an FHA loan to purchase a 4-flat that I can live in during part of the week and then commute home on the weekend to be with my wife. (My wife refuses to go back to apartment living and we are expecting so it is out of the question to move to the city permanently)

I am concerned that this will not qualify as a primary residence since I won't be spending more than 50% of my time in that residence. I do not want to do anything that can get me in trouble for mortgage fraud. I think it's a long shot, but was wondering if there was a way that I could use an FHA loan for a downtown 4-flat. Appreciate any guidance!

Thanks,

Nate