Starting off and I'm looking for multi units to house hack

[Naeem Barbour]

So I've been getting some really good advice on BP. My plans are to house hack for now to start off. My concern is I'm in Chicago and I see  a lot of low cost 2 flat and 3 flat buildings in the west side area or areas still rough. I get I'm not going to get the best unit in the best neighborhoods at a pretty low cost but my thing is the tenants. I don't want to manage them right now. What are some ways to find good tenants in a neighborhood that might be rough? And how do I go about the managing aspect of it since I'm new? My father owns 3 town house units in Hazel Crest, IL and he has had pretty bad tenants and he constantly is fixing something they broke by himself. This is the complete opposite of what I want.

[Ted Kuhlmann]

@Naeem Barbour Welcome to BP!!

I completely agree with your assessment and think @Andrew Kerr is spot on. Can you save up to get into a better neighborhood than you currently can't afford? Personally, i spent a bit more to be in class "B" neighborhoods where even though the cash flow isn't as ideal, the peace of mind is worth it.

If you are ready to jump and can only afford a C/D area, then your best bet is to find a solid property manager that works the neighborhood and can take the burden off you. It will impact your ROI of course, but the cash flow in C/D neighborhoods is generally higher than A/B, which should help your bottom line.

In the end, it really just comes down to jumping off the ledge and trying! Granted, you can't go wrong surfing these boards while learning from some very successful individuals of course. Best of luck to you going forward.