Path 01
House Hacking
FHA 3.5% · VA 0%
Buy a 2-4 unit. Live in one. Tenants in the others cover your mortgage. Owner-occupied loans get you in cheap. This is how 80% of new investors actually start.
House hacking deep-diveInvestor guide · W-2 → landlord
Three paths
to your first door.
Most new investors start with a duplex they live in. Some go straight to a rental. A few scale fast on DSCR. Whichever path, the financing is more flexible than it looks — and the math is more honest than the gurus admit.
· Three paths
Pick your
on-ramp.
Path 02
First Rental
15-25% down · conventional
Pure investment property. Single-family or small multi-family. You're paying more down and a higher rate, but you keep the cash flow. Aim for $200-300/mo above PITI on day one.
See If I QualifyPath 03
Scale with DSCR
20-25% down · property qualifies
DSCR (Debt Service Coverage Ratio) loans qualify on the property's rental income, not your W-2. At 4-5+ doors, your personal DTI gets crowded — DSCR is the unlock.
DSCR loans explained· Cash-flow markets
Where the math
actually works.
Not every market cash-flows. These three do — and they're in our footprint.
Pittsburgh, PA
Median $215K
$1,800-2,200/mo (2-unit)
Best cash-flow market in our footprint. Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, Brookline. Low entry, strong rent-to-price.
Cleveland, OH
Median $175K
$1,400-1,800/mo (2-unit)
Among the highest cap rates in the Midwest. Tremont, Ohio City, Lakewood. Appreciation + cash flow combined.
Philadelphia, PA
Median $275K
$2,200-2,800/mo (2-unit)
Higher entry, stronger rents. University City, Fishtown, Kensington. Long-term appreciation play with current cash flow.
· Watch-outs
Five mistakes
that drain new investors.
Mistake 01
Buying for appreciation only.
Cash flow pays the bills. Appreciation is the bonus, not the strategy. If the deal doesn't cash-flow on day one, it's not a deal — it's a gamble.
Mistake 02
Underestimating expenses.
Vacancy 5-8%, maintenance 5-10%, capex 5-10%, property mgmt 8-10%, insurance + taxes. The rent check is not your profit. Subtract first, then call it cash flow.
Mistake 03
Skipping the inspection.
A $400 inspection saves $40K in surprise repairs. Never skip on investment properties — especially older multi-family. The seller is motivated; the building doesn't lie.
Mistake 04
Overleveraging too early.
Six months of reserves PER PROPERTY. One vacancy or one busted boiler shouldn't force you to sell at a loss. Reserves > rate.
Mistake 05
Not understanding loan products.
Investment loans = different rates, different down requirements, different DTI rules. The DSCR product alone changes everything once you have 4+ doors. Know your tools.
First door.
Best move you'll make.
Five minutes. We map your income, credit, and assets to the cleanest investor-loan path — house hack, conventional rental, or DSCR.