.🔹 Ideal in Any Market – Whether home prices are rising or falling, lease options allow you to lock in today’s price while benefiting from future appreciation.Other creative strategies—like seller financing, subject-to deals, and the BRRRR method—can also open doors, but lease options remain one of the most powerful, low-risk, minimal cash out-of-pocket ways to build a portfolio.

Your realtor will be able to give you a much more detailed market specific answer but with house hacking and a VA loan it should be possible to get 0 out of pocket.

Savvy investors can find pockets of opportunity within the market.

I'm not 100% sold on being a landlord, but listening to the Bigger Pockets Money podcast is gradually changing my mind.If anyone has any resources, let me know.Thanks.Hey @Geoff Engel, welcome to the BP Forum! 

@Scott Trench & @Rene Hosman Have you considered implementing ways to verify identities of those who can post in the forums and perhaps even require full names? It will cut down on the fake accounts created to pro...

WHATS GOING ON BIGGER POCKETS FAMILY! 

There are a number of QIs right here on Bigger Pockets.

THEN, I plan to purchase the second home using a FHA or conventional loan (3%-5% down), for which I will likely pay the monthly cost out-of-pocket, maybe with some rental income support if it is a duplex.My concern is, I do not want to spend my savings or weigh down my debt-to-income ratio so much so that I cannot qualify for and pay the down payment and closing for the lending on the second home.Questions: - With the first home being multi-family, 75% of the rental income (or potential rental income initially) will relatively either maintain or boost my debt-to-income ratio from lenders' perspectives, right? 

Derek Welcome to Bigger Pockets!!

Hi Bigger Pockets Community!