On top of that, you’ll want to budget for ongoing expenses like property taxes, insurance, operational costs (such as utilities and property management), and maintenance.

The duplex route would be more maintenance, 6 roofs vs 1, etc.

A couple replies: The property would be managed by a local professional property manager who is paid out of quarterly maintenance fees charged to the owners.

There is some maintenance that needs to be done and i need access to the inside.

TN wasn’t a choice when I chose so I went with the low property tax, cheap insurance, no income tax, no weather, low maintenance, cheaper and newer inventory location that everyone is moving to. 

- Are there any additional costs for leasing, maintenance, or other services?

@David Herfel, connect with an investor-focused real estate agent in your respective market who has house hack before or routinely helps and services house-hack buyers.

To make things simple, let’s consider the following expenses:Rental property taxes: $500Repairs and maintenance costs: $1,000Utilities: $1,200Property management fees: $2,500In this case, the total allowable expenses are $5,200.

I am thinking over a 30-40 year time horizon, the nicer system will require less maintenance and also last 3-5 more years, so would end up being the cheaper option in the long run.

This doesn’t negate the need to check the lines, however.Pay Attention to Pride of OwnershipAmateur repairs—or a lack of repairs—and deferred maintenance are typically the result of a “low pride of ownership.”