The goal with househacking a duplex is to drastically reduce your monthly payment while you live there, then enjoy great cashflow when you move out (and market rents are grown considerably).

I work here in Janesville/ Beloit and the market has grown substantially.

Has grown children, but they are special needs(?). 

I live in a so called "cashflow market" (Milwaukee) and have always made a lot more on equity than on cash flow, even before the last 3 years.But I also know investors who have grown and managed a portfolio "city cash flow properties" for decades and have almost nothing to show for - because capex exceeded cash flow.High appreciation markets are also risky to invest - while I feel very strongly about that market not going to crash as a whole, I am not so sure if markets like TX will not come under pressure after the exuberant gains of the last years.The Midwest is the only region left with an affordability index over 100 (median family can afford a median home), so just like communicating vessels in physics we may see a market rebalancing, where remote workers will move to where living expenses are affordable (not only housing) and boom markets will see an adjustment (not a crash).And even if you are an apartment syndicator, you need cash flow to boost NOI - there is just no way around it.

- The $5k-$10k properties are the properties that are the source of most of the Detroit Horror Stories- A few home grown locals, may find success with these - yet to witness an low experience or non local be successful with these- Have seen 100s of OOS and first time investors have lots of success with the $60-$110k propertiesMetro Detroit has arguably some of the best investing in the nation.

It has grown over the years so plenty of college students if you are open to renting to them.

Even if we need to hire some of these services as we age, we could still likely make 10-20% returns - why divest from that.To the living off the equity, I would argue that one CAN do that :-) For example, if our equity is grown at 100K per year between loan paydown and appreciation that we figure at 2% annually, there is an opportunity to 'cash out refinance' in some way shape or form say 75K per year.

I too have grown from bigger pockets knowledge!

It’s a solid concrete building but windows are busted out and trees are grown up all around it and squatters have been in and out.

I have read more in the last 10 months than i have my entire life and I have grown exponentially from that coupled with the knowledge gained from the BP community.