-I will be focusing on the residential market to start-I'm a transplant from the Midwest in 2012 so my 'network' of people to immediately tap into for referrals and warm leads here in AZ would be limited at first while I got up and running-I would like to focus on the valley area (Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert, etc.)

Me and my wife liver there for about 5years before it took a dive.

I have lived in Maplewood for past 17 years, and for past 1-2 years have seen a lot of orange license plates cruising around town (i.e NYC transplants). 

I'm from the area, but he is a retired Navy transplant from KY.

I am a new transplant to the real estate investor field.

If you want to maintain your apartment or house and let the occupants live rent free, you should decide who the occupants will be, not your tenant.

I am a Chicago transplant living in Orange, California.

I'd like to help relatives with a moderate income buy a duplex in order to live rent-free, probably with a Home Ready mortgage that allows the rent in the 2nd unit to count toward qualifying.

Without knowing the specifics of your market, I'd say run the numbers on a couple of different scenarios to see what would be the most beneficial for you, but I'm going to take a guess here and say that househacking as a strategy will still probably make a lot of sense for you, and here's why I think that:- I'm going to assume that you can find a home to househack where you can continue to live rent-free (your tenants pay >= 100% of your mortgage and all expenses including utilities, repairs, etc.)- If you can find a property that meets the above, you will still be in a better situation than continuing to live rent-free with your parents since you will be building equity in the home (both through your tenants paying down your mortgage, as well as through natural appreciation of the home as the market continues to go up long-term, and also through any forced appreciation you create through home improvements...again ideally funded by your tenants' rent)- You'll also be able to reap lots of tax benefits that you would not be eligible for with solely W2 income- You will be gaining the experience of buying, owning, operating, and maintaining real estate, screening and managing tenants, etc. all in a relatively low-risk environment compared to jumping right into a pure investment property/multi-family/etc.

The short answer is I live rent free.