House-Hacking Guide

Living in the home while renting part of it — an ADU, a lower-level unit, or rooms — so the rent offsets your payment. It's how buyers make a high Eastside payment work while starting to invest, using owner-occupied financing.

An ADU or detached DADU (Washington has loosened ADU rules — verify local zoning and permits), a separate lower-level unit, roommates, or a small owner-occupied multi-unit. Legal, separate units command more rent and are easier to finance and insure.

Owner-occupancy. Living in the property lets you use owner-occupied loan terms — lower down payment, better rate — than a pure investment loan, which materially improves the numbers versus buying a separate rental.

Zoning, permits, and any owner-occupancy requirements with the city. Unpermitted units can't be legally rented or counted, and financing and insurance depend on the unit being legal — verify before you bank on the income.

You're a live-in landlord. Shared walls or a tenant on the property is a real lifestyle trade-off, and turnover and maintenance still apply. The numbers can be great; the question is whether the arrangement fits how you live.

Look for legal ADU/DADU potential or an existing separate unit in a zoning that permits it. Finding those properties and running the numbers is part of a Real Estate Review.