Why You Should Be Looking For Uneven Multifamilies

[Jonathan Greene]

If you are single or a couple agreeing to go on a house-hacking journey together, you probably want to maximize your mortgage paydown or make a small amount of cash flow. The best way to hedge your bets in the right direction and also protect your personal space is to look for uneven multis.

What am I talking about?

You have your standard two-family layout. Say two beds, one bath, either side by side or top and bottom. Sometimes, that layout comes in fours also. Those are even-sized units so equal on rents in theory. To win as a first-time or seasoned house hacker who is ok with less space, you want to look for funky layouts.

For example, a three bed and a one bed is a huge score because you can live in the small unit and make more money without room hacking or wasting space in your unit. You may deal with less space, a basement or attic unit (see below), but your goal is probably to hack it for one year.

And then there is the 2 + 1 or another derivative. A 2 + 1 is a legal two-family with a boarder unit, usually in the basement or the attic. In most areas, as the owner, you can legally live in the boarder (as long as the bathroom was permitted) and rent the other legal units. Sometimes, you need to remove the gas line and stove, but many towns are ok with owner-occupany in the boarder.

Let me know if have you any questions and when you are looking, look for uneven layouts to cash flow more to start.