I also got started with a 3-unit house hack 2 years ago. it has been a great experience and the money I have saved from not paying rent has allowed me to purchase 6 more units in the past 2 years. as far as finding tenants make sure to do a background check and call their previous landlords and their job to verify employment.

  ( I dont mind renting out units, I rented my home that I owned out during college to pay my tuition.)The question is, would I be better suited selling the townhome at 160,000 to pay for the new property and have cash left over for construction and renovation OR  do I take out on the townhouse, hold it and charge around $1500 a month for rent and use that income to pay off both.as far as 1031 I could do that, you mean selling and using the funds to defer all gains on taxes?

I am a 26 year old college graduate who like many others are in debt.

I am currently a college student that has completed 2 years of general studies, and will be entering a major next semester my current plan is to double major in business management and Real Esate.

This can certainly happen from raising rents and adding profit centers to the property like storage units, but it is unlikely to keep pace with the 5% to 6% long-term average level of nominal appreciation for single-family properties.Further - Multifamily properties over 4 units require commercial financing, which is less attractive.

However, this is more than 6% increase from previous year (50% increase from $100,000 to $150,000). 

With myself coming right out of college, I am used to living with other people and with very little space, which is why I thought of the idea of renting out an extra bedroom in my half of the duplex.

Not even double (I do have higher geographic cost).Jobs that make 100k+ with no college degree: sales (insurance, cars, software, medical, RVs, real estate, etc), trades (plumbers, electricians, even carpet layers in my area make 120k/yr).

We have $25k for emergencies, and another $65k either in brokerage accounts or high interest savings/checking accounts, though we're pretty far behind in retirement savings due to some debt I had from the only other time I've been a landlord (a long story about getting screwed by a RE attorney/property manager from a home from my previous marriage), which has been paid off since 2013.I've known about my unemployment since Thanksgiving and am trying to move up the corporate ladder, but am finding it difficult to progress to in-person interviews for job titles that are above anything I've had yet, but I am getting initial interviews for VP/EVP/SVP roles with recruiters.

The tenant says they have a friend interested in apartment and that this friend would pay this previous occupant their deposit.