New REI investor looking to get started and househack in Chicago

[Johnny Alvarez]

Hello BP community!

I have been lurking in the forums but wanted to finally make an introductory post. I moved to Chicago this past January, a city that I absolutely love, where I would like establish myself and land my first investment. I'm working full time as an engineer in a manufacturing plant, and I am determined to pursue a multifamily house-hack. First of all, I wanted to connect with you and start conversations on these topics so feel free to reach out! Secondly I had some specific questions for my Chicago people to start off:

• From your perspective what are some of the best neighborhoods to house-hack currently? Any specific area that is currently appreciating at higher rate? I've been looking into Avondale and Tri-Taylor area. I like Ukrainian village but looks like in general is too expensive and lower probability to cashflow

• What are some of the intricacies from the Chicago market that makes it unique from other major metropolitan areas?

• Is FHA the way to go for househacking or should you pursue a conventional loan if can afford it?

Looking forward for discussions and learning from your experiences

Johnny Alvarez