The Latest: Feb 10, 2019

Any renter with an internet connection and a passion for painting the walls dark green (or black or maybe just wallpapering a bit) can attest to the bit of confusion you feel when first encountering a mortgage calculator or payment estimator online. You approach the thing with some very rough estimates researched in haste about what a modest little 2-bedroom in an up-and-coming neighborhood might cost.

When my husband and I—aspiring landlords that we are—found out we could get an FHA loan to cover the purchase of a duplex, triplex, or fourplex, we thought we had it all figured out. But four months and a dozen offers later, we were still discovering surprises right and left. Here’s what we wish we’d known before navigating on our less-informed, high-risk multi-family home search. Read up on landlord/tenant laws in your area before embarking on this journey!