All Forum Posts by: Brandan Vazquez

@Brandan Vazquez

Hey Brandon,

First off, welcome to Houston. I acquired my first three homes via house hacking and love to hear when first time investors are considering taking this approach. When I started, I did not have a lot to put down, thus being able to utilize an owner occupied 5% down conventional loan can really make spreading out the nest egg you do have and get into the next property more quickly.

I agree with @Karl McGarvey. There are so many ways to house hack. If you do truly want to go the multifamily approach, I have purchased two homes with garage apartments that both cash flow very well (now that I have moved out of them). I like to call it a hidden duplex because it isn’t a true multifamily, but still has two doors.

If you need help, I am happy to share all my mistakes (so you don’t make them) and help guide into your first investment.

Whatever you do, my advice is to not sit on the sidelines. There are so many investors on this forum willing to help, and I’ve still yet to meet an investor that’s only sitting on one property. It’s easy to get hooked : )

Good luck!

Welcome to Houston and welcome to REI!

House hacking is one of my FAVORITE ways to help clients invest in RE, it is such a powerful tool. One recommendation I do have, is to focus less on MF and instead focus on getting a deal and starting the clock towards deal #2. MF properties are the gem of properties for many investors, and as such they come with more competition, especially in this market. You may spend months trying to get into one, which is months you could have been in another property ticking down the clock of the minimum amount of time the lender makes you occupy it. Keep in mind, while it is not as widespread in the books and podcasts, you CAN successfully house hack in a SFH by renting out bedrooms, or even just by living in the home for the 12ish months the lender will require before moving into your next home. While its not as profitable for year one, after year one you are using the cashflow from property #1 to pay off mortgage payments on property 2. I have had clients spend over a year waiting for "the perfect MF property" only to never get one when they could have been in home #2 already.

Just a few notes from a guy who has seen people do it, hope it helps and feel free to reach out for anything Houston Real Estate!

@Brandan Vazquez welcome to Houston. I just moved here 2 months ago as well.