House Hacking NYC Area

[Derek Powers]

I’ve on BiggerPockets reading and listening to podcasts, and looking to enter the game through house hacking. I’m currently living in Queens, but willing to move to make this more feasible. Currently looking for a good agent with real estate investing experience. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated. Thanks and can’t wait to get this ball rolling!!

[Chace Fraser]

@Derek Powers Welcome to the BP community. Just by joining you are taking the first step to financial freedom. I think house hacking is a great way to get your feet wet in rental investing, especially if you can find a duplex or so and live in one half and rent out the other half. There is tons of information on the forums and various professionals on this site.

If I were you I'd definitely connect with @Abel Curiel, take him out to coffee/lunch/happy hour, and pick his brain. Also, have him recommend a lender to you.

As far as lenders go here's my take; as a Realtor myself I find it easiest to have my clients go through lenders I have worked with before. The reason is I know which lenders:

• do a good job
• stay on top of the necessary tasks
• know how to be creative within the rules (some people don't fit into the standard mold of a buyer, and some lenders don't know how to get them approved, and some lenders know how to get them approved)
• and which lenders can actually close deals.

Another reason is, as someone like you who wants to house hack, not all lenders are experienced in it. So my recommendation would be to have your agent recommend a lender to you. That's why I think it's important to work with an agent who has worked with house hackers before and therefore worked with lenders who have worked with house hackers before.