I am a first time real estate investor looking the following property : https://www.redfin.com/OR/Forest-Grove/2418-Cedar-Cir-97116/...its a pretty large duplex in Forest Grove OR,  the trick is though, its on a lot zoned for a 4 plex so I am lookinginto house hacking, converting into a triplex, then living in one unit while renting out the remaining two unitsThe left garage has been converted to living space, with a living room, half bath, a laundry room with a sink and some counters/cupboards and a bedroom, it is a part of what was an existing 3bd unitIf I were to acquire the asset, I would first attempt to convert that space into its own unit The line items as I see (be in mind, I am totally new to this) would be to >put up dry wall where the door to the rest of the house is,>add a shower to the half bathroom >install a water heater in the adjacent 3bd unit> install a kitchen in the laundry room, (stove , oven , sink, counter space)>add a shower to the half bath Assuming I can convert it to a 3plex, I could at-least cash flow on my investment after I leave My plan would be to put minimum down payment of 3.5% (FHA loan) that way I can have a decent amount of capital free to do the renovationsThe only concern is when I crunch the numbers to get my ROI, I have no idea how much its going to cost to convert the additional living space to a third unitAny experienced investors here know how I can estimate this before I try to make an offer?

Feel free to reach out with any specific questions you may have. - Chris Kersey 

You cannot be living rent free or you cannot use the rents of the subject property to qualify.  

It takes much longer to evict and while they live rent-free you get nothing. 

The physical beauty here is unmatched.I know the idea of living mortgage-free is exciting, but it's just not doable in an area like Colorado Springs (or Denver just to the north).

Feel free to call me or send me a message.

I'd imagine the same could be true of posting a for-sale sign in the front of the house, a free craigslist ad, or an email to one of my existing contacts saying 'hey, this is for sale!'

If you want to discuss in more detail feel free to reach out. 

You can take a million things for free on YouTube and here on BiggerPockets and listen to podcasts before spending money on something that won't get you anywhere quicker.

if the property is valuable enough you might be able to get one to front the cost before accepting a deed.You might also find an investor willing to take the property for free if they can figure out a way to make some risk-free money.