House hacking is a real estate strategy that involves purchasing a property, and living in it, while also renting out a portion of the property to generate income. There are several ways to approach house hacking; some common strategies include:
- Purchasing a duplex or triplex and living in one unit while renting out the others.
- Buying a single-family home with a separate in-law suite or basement apartment that can be rented out.
- Renting out a room in your home to a tenant, either long-term or on a short-term basis (e.g. through a service like Airbnb).
- Participating in a shared equity program, in which you purchase a portion of a property and live in it while someone else owns the rest and helps cover the mortgage.
There are pros and cons to each of these approaches, and the best option for you will depend on your financial situation, the local real estate market, and your personal preferences.
How can our Denver-based mortgage company help you?
- Use our Dream Home Finder tool to search for properties you could live in and rent out.
- Get pre-approved for a home loan. This is the best way to get competitive in your price range.
- Find today’s mortgage rates for a rental income property that you also live in.
- Get expert advice from professionals with experience with house hacking, schedule a call or zoom.
We are located in Denver and we serve home buyers all over Colorado, California, Idaho, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.
If you are a millennial and think owning a home is out-of-reach, think again. You could also benefit from the real estate strategy of house hacking. Here’s an article we shared recently about how millennial’s are NOT the renter generation, after all.
Definition of House Hacking from Dictionary.com.
House hacking is an informal term that most commonly refers to a real estate investment strategy in which a person rents out their primary residence or part of it in order to cover its cost and sometimes generate additional revenue.
The most common example is living in a multi-unit property that one owns, such as a duplex or triplex, and renting out part of it.
The term house hacking is also sometimes applied to other strategies that involve generating revenue from property, such as renting out extra bedrooms, a basement, or other extra space, such as a garage or shed.
Another investment strategy often considered to be house hacking is the practice of living in a property while fixing it up to flip it (quickly resell it for profit).
Promoters of house hacking often note that renting out a primary residence can allow one to avoid the higher taxes and investment rates often associated with renting out investment properties.
The term house hack can be used as both a verb and a noun. A person who engages in house hacking is sometimes referred to as a house hacker.
Where does House Hacking come from?
The term house hacking is thought to have been coined by real estate investor and podcast host Brandon Turner, who has used the term since at least 2015. Of course, the investment strategy that house hacking refers to predates the term itself.
The phrase uses the informal sense of the verb hack meaning “to make use of a tip, trick, or efficient method for doing or managing (something).”
Awareness of the term and the concept it refers to increased during the later 2010s and early 2020s, when it was popularized by Turner and others.
