It is our hope to gain financial independence by house hacking and by gradually building up a “real estate empire,” as we jokingly call it.

With possibly the exception of some parts of Florida and maybe deep Arizona or Death Valley, lack of air conditioning does not make anyplace uninhabitable, merely uncomfortable.

I am 22 and I think I am in a solid financial state.

This type of arrangement would give her a stable source of income, until you finish school, and get financially established. 

(We live in the same area I'm searching in) So I though why not be the owner occupier financially fronted mostly by me.

I'm excited to surround myself with like-minded investors in the area who are also working to pursue financial freedom/ increase income via investing in assets. 

My assumption (which could be what is causing my confusion) is that a homebuyer who is seeking a lower monthly payment for two years is doing so due to financial constraints and needs time to adjust to a mortgage payment and the expenses that come with owning a home. 

I'm currently working a 9-5 and would like to gain financial freedom.

Also, a broker we are talking to said we easily qualify financially but her underwriter will require us to 1) move out of our townhome first into a temporary month to month rental, and 2) rent out our townhouse first and 3) then show the underwriter the 1-year minimum lease to satisfy them that we are not going to commit fraud and not move into the duplex. 

Well there would be more multi family properties and many would be much better off financially.