Zombie Foreclosures Are Highest Where Duplexes Are Cheapest
ATTOM’s Q3 2026 report puts Youngstown, Fort Wayne and Akron among the top zombie-foreclosure metros. What that means if you plan to buy a cheap duplex there.
House Hacking
Live in one unit, rent the rest — strategies, real numbers, and lessons from doing it.
The Spreadsheet Behind My First Property, Free to Download
The five-tab spreadsheet I use on every deal, free, no signup, loaded with my own duplex as the example, and the two cells I learned to be pessimistic about.
What I Would Do Differently at Today’s Rates: My Duplex, Priced This Week
My $470,000 duplex priced at this week’s 6.71 percent rate: the payment, my share after both units, and the three things I would change about how I bought it.
Why Some Cash-Flowing Deals Are Bad Purchases, and What I Check First
A deal can cash flow on paper and still be a bad buy. What my 83-metro screen shows about cheap listings, and what I check before I open a spreadsheet.
What Went Wrong After I Bought the Duplex: the Boiler, the Basement, and Guest Number One
Four things went wrong in my first year owning a duplex: a $20,000 boiler, a $30,000 basement, a first Airbnb guest who demanded a refund, and the week I nearly quit.
How Much My Tenants Actually Covered: Twelve Months of Rent Against the Mortgage
Twelve months of upstairs rent and Airbnb payouts against a $2,880 payment on my $470,000 duplex, month by month, plus the costs the tenants did not touch.
How Long Do You Have to Live in a House Hack?
FHA loans require one year of occupancy in a house hack, starting within 60 days of closing. What the rule says, what can extend it, and how I planned my year.
How to Find a House Hack Property
Small multifamily listings are harder to search than houses. The filters, listing sources, and five-minute screen I use to find a duplex worth touring.
Using a VA Loan on a Duplex or Fourplex: The Rules That Actually Matter
A VA loan buys a duplex or fourplex with nothing down if you live in one unit. The rules that catch people: the landlord test and the six month reserve.
Duplex or Single-Family Starter Home? The Numbers That Decide It
A duplex costs more up front and hands part of the payment back every month. A starter home is simpler. Here is the math and what you give up either way.