Newbie in Philly looking for first house hack!

[Thomas Alessandrello]

Hey BP fam! I'm Tom. I'm 23 years old living in the city of brotherly love. I've had a position in management consulting at a Big 4 firm for a year and a half and have been renting during this time. My current lease is up Summer 2020 and I'm looking to have my first house hack ready by that time. I'm interested in learning about the basic advice for beginners and anything Philadelphia-specific that can help me with my search.

Is it better to go single-family or duplex/triplex? Which neighborhoods? Pre-approval with an agent or online? What type of loan works best? Should I consider going in with a friend for my first property to reduce the costs?

Thanks for all help! Looking forward to hearing all your ideas!