First Duplex Purchase

[Wesley A Showalter]

Hey Everyone, Needing some help on buying my first duplex (house hack). I have my pre approval ready and already working with a realtor. I am trying to be under 275k and don't really want to be in a bad part of town. Not sure if I should be going after the appreciation or the cashflow. Any suggestion or know of one I would really appreciate it! 

[Patrick Lyons]

Hey Wesley, the way I look at appreciation vs cash flow really depends a lot on your current financial situation. If you really need some extra income now, finding a cash-flowing property is going to be your best bet. If you have a solid income and are comfortable financially then finding a property in a good area that is likely going to appreciate would be a great strategy for delayed gratification (and profit). These properties however usually will have much smaller cash flow, or occasionally even operate at a loss. As far as avoiding bad parts of town, this is something your realtor should be knowledgeable of and if they are not, you should consider finding a different agent. Here are a few I found from the agent finder on this site, both of whom have good reviews and are active in the forums it appears.

https://www.biggerpockets.com/...

https://www.biggerpockets.com/...