I helped a young kid purchase a 4-unit he was going to house hack and manage, so I got him a nice Dewalt drill set. 

Basement, 4 levels and roof deck.

New builds typically tend to appreciate faster and demand a higher rent than average for an area compared to older units (we often see a higher quality tenant(s) in new builds as well).If you were to buy an already built 4 plex are you expecting any immediate or mid term rehab and what are the projected rent rates and rough estimate for annual appreciation.

Even if the HOA does cover things like windows, that doesn't mean they are currently funded to a level to handle replacing without a special assessment.  

I'm looking to buy my first property as a house hack ideally a 3 or 4 unit, and I have what could be a 3-5% down payment saved right now.

I'm glad to see you're considering a multifamily home in Portland—it's a fantastic way to get started.Portland can indeed be a bit tricky for multifamily properties, particularly with the current market conditions and tenant-occupied units.

If I am going to hold and rent, 3 beds in our market get about $300 more per unit, and are desirable in there aren't enough of them.If you're gonna hold and refi, I would make it a 3 bed.I may be just looking at it from a multifamily perspective.Let me know what you end up doing.

You can also take out a HELOC on an investment property as long as it is a 1-4 Unit and the total CLTV is not over 70%.

Are there other levels of escalation available to me that are fast?

I purchased 2 duplexes in Morningside, Wayne County, #Detroit, Michigan (zip code 48224) February 2024.I am also an #Out of state investor.Both are currently going through repairs and updates necessary for the city of Detroit to give me the Certificate of Compliance for rental units.