New to investing/rental properties/Chicago

[Drew Obradovich]

Hey BP world, 

I'm Drew and I'm very new to bigger pockets and real estate in general. I've been renting for years and am embarrassed to admit how much I've spent that way. I'd love to buy a rental property, or a multifamily home and rent the other unit. It seems the more I read on here, talk to others, and do my own research the more I realize I'm still at step 1. I have the down payment money ready, so getting a conventional loan wouldn't be much of an issue. My question is where do I look? I seems hard to find good investment properties on Zillow etc. I'm open to Chicago, Chicago suburbs, and Northwest Indiana for rental properties, and Chicago for multifamily. Help?

[Michael Facchini]

@Drew Obradovich, kudos on making the decision to not only purchase your first place, but to house-hack a multi-unit!  This is where it all begins!  Regarding areas to look at, whether in the city, suburbs, or NW Indiana, there are of course pockets for each where you can find neighborhoods trending, where you might ride more of an appreciation wave....or neighborhoods that are a little more established and rents already stabilized.  Depends on what you're looking for, and your budget/price-point - I'd establish your requirements and price range first, then start exploring.  In terms of exploring, find a great agent for the areas of interest that know that sub-market AND specialize in multi-units.  The 2-4unit property is a different game, so you definitely want specialists on your team.  Good news is, you have down payment saved up and the drive to make something happen.  The rest can be figured out from here!