I broker deals for my sons, and even though they are buying single-family rentals (classified as residential) I'm able to serve them with a "commercial mindset" and we look at the deals from that perspective. 

I want to know strictly from numbers perspective. 

From an operations perspective, not too much changes.

@Elizabeth Taras I cannot comment on the tax perspective here; however, I'd say buy a lower priced small MFR to get your feet wet where you can force value.

MF is commercial OVER 4 units from a lending perspective, since you are outside of conventional Fannie and Freddie lending products (until you get into over $1mm balance from the Small Balance program).  

The holder of the note makes no real difference; in Jane's case, it might be more advantageous to her to hold the note than sell outright depending on how she can absorb the sale from a tax perspective; in your case you don't have enough income to do a conventional loan so getting a seller carry can give you more properties.

I have not house-hacked, so take this with a grain of salt, but I am thinking about it from the financial perspective, and it's analogous to owning a two- or three-family house, where you live in one of the units and rent out the others.  

Here are some of the nuggets he has passed along regarding this strategy:- You want to make sure your rental listings have great pictures, perspective tenants often are out of area and pretty much choose where to rent based on them.- Make sure to advertise on furnishedfinder.com and Facebook groups dedicated to travelling nurses.

From a current cash flow perspective, the analysis should result in better cash flow for YOU.  

I try and spend as much time outside the office as possible networking with local investors and real estate professionals and would love to get a group together to share ideas and learn the different perspectives everyone has on the STL market.