Rent by the Room or Rent the Whole Unit? How the Two House Hacks Differ
Renting rooms brings in more gross rent. Renting a separate unit brings in less and gives you a door that closes. The lending rules are what actually decide it.
House Hacking
Live in one unit, rent the rest — strategies, real numbers, and lessons from doing it.
FHA vs. Conventional for House Hacking: Which Loan Gets You In for Less
I bought my duplex with FHA. The honest head-to-head with conventional: down payment, mortgage insurance, loan limits, rental income rules, and the 3-4 unit test.
The First Duplex Numbers I Ever Ran (and What the Spreadsheet Couldn’t See)
My first duplex analysis was a $120,000 Saint Paul listing. The spreadsheet said yes, the walkthrough said no, and the number I obsessed over was the wrong one.
What a $160,000, $200,000, and $280,000 Duplex Actually Costs Per Month
Three duplex price tiers from my 2026 data run: the monthly cost of owning each after tenant rent, the cash you need at closing, and why the top tier loses.
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Rental: What I Learned Running Both in the Same Duplex
Short-term vs. long-term rental, compared from a duplex running both: a long-term tenant upstairs and an Airbnb basement. Income, time cost, vacancy risk, and rules.
Multigenerational Living Is Rising, and the 2-4 Unit Home Was Built for It
Multigenerational living is defined as two or more adult generations sharing one home. In the United States it has grown
What I Wish Someone Told Me Before My First Rental
First rental property tips that survive contact with reality: buy for the tenant pool you want, price the boring systems
House Hacking at Today’s Mortgage Rates: What Changed, and Where It Still Works
Higher rates added $991 a month to the same duplex. Of 83 metros screened, only a handful still let rent cover the payment, and some of those run negative.
Should I Get a Tiny Home? Tiny Home vs. House Hacking
A tiny home is cheaper to buy and far more expensive to borrow for. Here is the monthly math against house hacking a duplex, using both loan types side by side.
How Do People Afford Houses?
When prices and your income do not seem to fit, it is fair to wonder how everyone else manages it. Usually it comes down to a few things.