All Forum Posts by: Ryan Oblak

Hah, fair enough @Brian Garlington. Appreciate the pointer to Chris Mason.

Thanks, @Brian Garlington! Appreciate you sharing your insight.

In your experience have you found a sweet spot for number of bedrooms and AirBnb occupancy rates? I imagine it's easier to book more nights per month in a studio or a 1 bedroom versus a 2+ bedroom, though a 2+ bedroom will yield more per night.

Also, any thoughts on the viability of a short-term rental in SF versus Berkeley or Oakland? I'm expecting a steep drop-off in income potential of a centrally-located SF neighborhood versus the East Bay, or even a spot in the Sunset or Richmond.

Hi,

This is my first time posting here— I found BP via an episode on the ChooseFI podcast. From my brief perusal this evening it seems like I've come to the right place to ask a few questions regarding so-called "house hacking" in San Francisco and the East Bay, specifically Berkeley/NOBE.

My partner and I are looking to get a bit more space— we currently live in a studio in the city— as we're anticipating expanding our family in the next couple of years. It would also be nice to have a room for guests to stay in.

We're attracted to the idea of house hacking as a way to offset monthly expenses and reduce the risk of such a large purchase. We've both rented our entire adult lives and, while we're comfortable with investing in paper assets, we have zero experience with real estate. That said, we're both motivated and my partner particularly has a knack for interior design, so we're not averse to a property improvement play.

Is house hacking a realistic option for us? We'd be comfortable with either a long-term or a vacation rental situation, assuming the numbers and the property are right for us.

As first-time home buyers, is an FHA loan possible? I'm only beginning to get familiar with the various limits, though at first glance it looks like we would qualify.