We saw huge appreciation in the 2018-2022 inflation run up, but that has significantly slowed these days in my opinion.From a rental perspective your monthly income per unit after all expenses with a typical 20% down payment is likely $100-300 when you find a property that will cash flow.

The risk of "piercing the veil" applies more to LLCs when personal and business finances are not properly separated, not necessarily to individual landlords renting a portion of their home.A more practical approach is ensuring you have a solid lease agreement, sufficient liability insurance (including an umbrella policy), and properly reporting rental income and deductions on your tax return (Schedule E).

Gifting equity in a house may be more trouble than it is worth if you are not near the life-time exclusion1) Potentially having to get the property appraised everytime an equity is gifted2) Having a title company update the title every time3) Exemption of the gift tax return is normally for cash gifts below the annual gift tax exclusion, you may still need to file if you gift non-cash4) If there is partial ownership over several years, having to properly pro-rate certain items such as real estate taxes, mortgage interest and rental income if the property is a rentalBest of luck 

If you need current income, I'd recommend another fix/flip.

If you did not do a "wrap mortgage" or "mirror mortgage" to help them create "notes receivable income", they may need a cosigner to have enough income to qualify for their next mortgage.

My recommendation would be different if you were a high-income earner or if you wanted steady equity growth.

It’s a great way to maximize rental income while offering a unique solution to tenants.- Value-Add Investments: Beyond cosmetic upgrades, think about adding amenities like solar panels, EV charging stations, or smart home tech.

Quote from @Hansen Tong: Hi Everyone looking for a CPA in CA that understands cost segregation, offsetting of w2 income through active short term rental partcipation etc. 

This is how I see it:Single-Family Homes:Pros:Larger pool of potential tenants (families).Simpler management (one tenant, one lease).Often easier to finance.May appreciate faster in some markets.Cons:Only one income stream.Vacancy hits harder financially.Duplexes:Pros:Two potential income streams.Live in one unit and rent the other (house hacking!)

Due to the university there I worked with a lot of incoming families and getting what they needed for their dorms.