Send us Fan Mail House hacking is buying a property, living in part of it, and renting out the rest so your tenants help cover the mortgage. It works because of the loan, not the rent. Kevin and I have never done it. We have recommended it to our three kids, their friends, and others who may or may not have asked. Our batting average is zero. So when a 23 year old listener in Wisconsin asked for this episode, we finally said yes. Everybody explains the shiny part. Buy a duplex, live in one side, rent out the other, your tenant pays your mortgage. Nobody explains the middle part, and the middle part is where people go quiet. Kevin ranks the property types by privacy instead of by cash flow, and his rule of thumb is the opposite of what your spreadsheet will tell you. Then I take on financing, starting with what I deliberately will not give you and why. What I will give you is the one question that reveals whether a lender has ever closed a deal like yours, plus the short list to bring to every one of them. From there, the numbers you run twice, the inspection people skip and regret, what separates a legal second unit from an expensive problem, and the zoning, HOA, insurance, and fair housing checks that come before the offer. Plus screening when you share a wall, and how to live there without being on call in your own driveway. Hit play. By the end you will know whether house hacking fits how you actually want to live. What You’ll Learn in This Episode • What house hacking really is, and why the loan matters more than the rent • The occupancy promise you make in writing, and why getting creative is a bad idea • How to rank property types by privacy, and the rule we would give our own kids • The question that tells you whether a lender has closed a deal like yours • Why you run the numbers twice, and which version most people never run • What reserves protect you from, and why the rent is not your money • The inspection people skip and regret, plus the one Kevin adds • What makes a converted unit an asset instead of a liability • Why your homeowners policy may not respond once a tenant moves in • Individual leases versus joint leases when you rent bedrooms • The systems that keep maintenance requests out of your driveway • Your three exit paths in year two, and the tax questions to ask first Episodes & Resources Mentioned Episode 11: Inheriting Tenants with Your New Rental Property? Episode 20: The Nuts and Bolts of Residential Rental Property Insurance Episode 28: The Cash Reserves Blueprint Episode 32: Our Lease and Addendum Breakdown Episode 51: The Hidden Dangers of Using Cash Apps to Collect Rent Episode 61: Emotional Support Animals Episode 63: Owning a Rental in an HOA Episode 75: The Due Diligence and Inspections We Complete Before Buying a Rental Property Episode 83: Fair Housing for Criminal Background Checks Episode 128: AI Is Your New Business Partner DoorLoop: The landlord management software we recommend for larger portfolios TurboTenant: Great landlord management software for newer landlords Avail: Free Landlord Software Innago: Free landlord software with online rent collection EZ Landlord Forms: State-specific lease documents, notices, and addendums Connect with Us: 🌎 Visit our website 📧 Subscribe to our newsletter. 👆 FREE Landlord Forms and Doc’s 🤳Text Us: 650-489-4447 📩Email us at: Stacie@YourLandlordResource.com, Kevin@YourLandlordResource.com ➡️ Give us a review: Apple or on Spotify or YouTube ✔️Course Waitlist 📱 Instagram, Facebook, & Private Facebook group
