House-Hacking Guide
Review the owner-occupant strategy.
Open ResourceSample Owner-occupied case study
Massachusetts Two-Family House Hack
An owner-occupant uses rent from the second unit to reduce personal housing expense.
Educational sample—not an actual transaction.All property details, people, figures, and outcomes are hypothetical.
Sample assumptions
Property and Financing
| Purchase price | $775,000 |
|---|---|
| Down payment | $38,750 (5%) |
| Loan | $736,250 at 6.50%, 30 years |
| Second-unit rent | $3,200/month |
Modeled results
Financial Analysis
| Principal and interest | $4,654/month |
|---|---|
| Taxes and insurance | $1,200/month |
| Maintenance reserve | $400/month |
| Total housing cost | $6,254/month |
| Rent received | $3,200/month |
| Net owner cost | $3,054/month |
Risk review
What to Examine
Confirm owner-occupancy and financing requirements.
Support rent with comparable leases.
Maintain reserves to carry the entire property during vacancy.
Review legal units, utilities, leases, and lead-law responsibilities.
Primary lesson
House hacking may reduce housing cost, but the owner needs the income and reserves to carry the entire property.
Replace every sample assumption with property-specific evidence. Test conservative income, expenses, construction, financing, timing, and exit scenarios before committing funds.
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Apply the example
Guides and Tools for This Case Study
Use the related strategy, property, financing and analysis resources to test your own assumptions.
Two-Family Homes
Review two-unit property considerations.
Open ResourceMortgage Calculator
Estimate principal and interest payments.
Open ResourceInvestor Checklists
Organize inspection and financing diligence.
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