First time buyer with a neighborhood question

[Dan McDermott]

Hello folks! I recently moved to Colorado Springs and I'm looking to buy something I can potentially house hack and also improve in general. 

I've heard some pretty rough stories about south of downtown....but, also, opportunities? 

I'd appreciate it if anyone here knows the city and can give me some pointers on the area. 

Thanks!

[Jordan Malara]

@Dan McDermott welcome to CO Springs! My wife and I have been house hacking in the area for about 5 years now and I truly think it is one of the best ways to get started. Location wise, it really depends on your overall strategy and comfort level, but overall I think there are 3 great areas to house hacking in CO Springs - central downtown, Old Colorado City, and Ivywild. All 3 areas have homes zones for multi-family (AKA you can convert a SFH into more units) which make them great for house hacking. Additionally each of these areas is growing and in the path of progress. Of theses areas mentioned, Ivywild is the area that is south of downtown like you mentioned, and is pretty safe. My first house hack was in this area. However, if you go 5-10 min further south you would hit B Street, a notorious street that wouldn't be as safe. This is where an agent more familiar with the downtown area can help you out because there are similar cases in other parts of the Springs as well. There are other places that you can house hack that would feel more suburban, but due to zoning you would need to get a little more creative with the approach.

Hope that helps a little bit! It’s hard to wrap up each area in a short message so feel free to reach out if you have more specific questions. I specialize in helping people invest and house hack in the area and would be happy to assist you in any way possible. Best of luck!