Plus, years down the road, I plan to split my time between SF and Detroit, so this would be a step in that direction.Another major focus for 2025 is a personal project: we recently completed a large ADU build at our primary residence here in California.

HI Guenevere, You can acquire your a primary residence from up to 1-4 units for as low as 5% with conventional or 3.5% FHA with a few exceptions.

If you intend to occupy this as a primary residence you could "assume" the loan meaning you would personally need to qualify with the existing lender to take on the loan in your own personal name. 3.

Yes, most lenders will require you to live in a primary residence before moving out, refinancing, or converting into a rental.

Just wondering, when you say you never put down more than 10% and other other benefits you describe, I'm assuming that's just for a house hack/primary residence?

Purchasing a new primary and turning my current house into a rental and looking to hire a PM but some of the fee's seem high. 1 quote - 100% 1st/month rent if i self-manager, or 75% 1st/mo rent and 10%/mo for PM to manage.Again, im new to this but from reading and talking to people there is a typical finders fee ~1000$ and 10%/mo rent if the PM manages. 

Also looking at a potential VA deal right now.How do you navigate this if the seller is looking to buy another primary in the near future?

@Samantha Springs can you rent a room out in the unit you occupy as your primary?

I've only ever purchased homes as primaries, one being rented out currently to an insurance company and the other is my current primary.

Another lesson I’ve learned is that buying a single family home as my primary residence to later lease to a tenant is a bad strategy unless I’m purchasing the property at a really low price.