I’m in the process of searching for land in the Houston area to then build a 4-plex on it.The plan is to self-fund the purchase & construction, rent the units and cash out with a mortage.I like the idea of serving lower income families and therefore don’t shy away from section 8.This is the first time I do something like this, so I’m throwing it out there in hopes of hearing your thoughts and learning from your experience!

Obviously the lower the price, the more attractive it is.

If that's your market, your only choice is to get aggressive or sit vacant.Consider lowering the price but increasing your standards.

Although still rare, some of these duplexes are now coming with impact windows, which further lowers your insurance and increases storm protection, so this may be something else to look into.

It's a bit cumbersome, you have to maintain strict financial separation, and because the loans have to be non-recourse, your LTV is lower.

A consistently higher appreciation can make up for a lower purchase price discount, but 5%+ appreciation for 5-10 years is typically not the case in markets that offer some amount of cash flow.2.  

So I am thinking it may be worth it for tenant retention and lowering long term maintenance costs.

@Bradley MairThe strategy involves buying properties as primary residences, resulting in lower down payments and better cash flow.

These people did lower their price recently and actually called us again. 

For both short- and mid-term investors, the market's diversity and relatively lower entry costs make it an attractive option.FYI - Philadelphia has a tenant-friendly legal environment, which can present certain challenges for landlords