I know in Philadelphia if I had a 2 BR house it would be viewed favorably by tenants who are seeking 2 BR living situations because most inventory will be apartment style living and for this reason would achieve a rent premium.

@Jarrod OchsenbeinIt's great to hear that you are succeeding with the co-living model.

Quote from @Sarah Kensinger: Boston is not STR friendly unless you live in the property.

Quote from @Tove Fox: I live in California and am interested in purchasing my first investment property in an A or B neighborhood in one of the above states, ideally under $300k.

If you are buying to live in, you could also do FHA with a cosigner.

If you're going to start in a market you're eventually going to live in, I think that's a stronger case for that market."

Live in one side and renovate that side, then after the lease for the other unit is up move into that one and renovate it.

I bought a single family because I thought I could house hack in the same way as a duplex and in ways it certainly could have and did work but I didn't expect the relational aspects of having people living in a property I purchased.

If the seller isn't responsive, then do like the idea of telling the tenant you tried, and see if they can get some free legal assistance from a tenant resource center.It is a good reminder as closing approaches to ask the seller to keep tenants updated on the pending sale and when ownership is scheduled to change.

For scaling your portfolio, consider house hacking another multi-family property to minimize living expenses while building equity.