Real Estate

House Hacking Calculator

Live in one unit, rent the others — see your effective housing cost and how much you offset your mortgage.

Monthly Costs

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$
$
$
$

Rental Income

Units you rent out (not your unit)

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%

Results

Your effective monthly housing cost
$1,970.00
vs $3,300.00 total
Rental income (effective)
$1,330.00
Mortgage offset %
40.3%
Total monthly expenses
$3,300.00
Annual housing savings
$0.00

House hacking fundamentals

What is house hacking?

Buying a multi-unit property (duplex, triplex, fourplex), living in one unit, and renting out the others. FHA loans allow 3.5% down on properties up to 4 units if owner-occupied.

FHA advantage

Owner-occupied multi-family properties qualify for FHA loans — 3.5% down instead of 20-25% for investment property. This dramatically lowers the barrier to entry.

Living for free

The goal is to have rental income cover all or most of your housing expenses, effectively living rent-free while building equity. Common in BRRRR investing strategies.

Scaling up

After building equity and cash flow experience, many house hackers refinance, move out, and repeat with another property — a proven path to building a rental portfolio.

For estimation only. Does not include depreciation or tax implications. Consult a real estate professional before purchasing. Not financial advice.