With your goal of house hacking in the Portland area and your budget of $400K–$800K, you're in a great position to start building equity while reducing your living expenses.

Which is the monthly mortgage insurance that gets added to the payment, which does not benefit the owner it benefits the bank and also reduces cash flow.

If you’re looking to reduce your living expenses while starting out, house hacking is a solid move.

Engage all 5 senses, earn trust and build relationships with local vendors.

Websites that reduce screening down to a "score" always do a bad job, in my experience.

You can pay it down this month and use it again next month.You are charged interest only on the amount you borrow for the time you owe it until you pay it off.What they will do, if the economy changes, or if your situation changes, they will immediately reduce the limit to the amount you have outstanding at that moment and will not let you borrow the full amount.

Just be sure you meet REPS and material participation tests, and confirm with your CPA before reducing W-2 withholding to avoid underpayment penalties.

However, knowing my local market I know those lots lie inside an area that requires a nutrient reducing septic system.

A Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT) is a widely used estate planning tool, particularly among individuals with significant assets who are looking to reduce the size of their taxable estate.

That being said, buying a duplex or triplex is a better choice in my opinion as you can still have your living space and reduce your housing expense (albeit not as much).