Texas Lone Star Lending Video

House Hacking Using a VA Loan

Housing hacking is renting part your home so that the rental income covers some or all of the costs of home ownership. With a VA loan, you can buy a multi-unit home as long as you live in one of the units.

Posted 2/29/24  |  0:00

Read the transcript

In this week's 5-Point-5, we'll learn about housing hacking using a VA loan.

First point: What is house hacking?

Housing hacking is renting part your home so that the rental income covers some or all of the costs of home ownership. The goal is to live for free while still enjoying the benefits of owning a home.

Second point: Duplex, Triplex, Fourplex

With a VA loan, you can buy a multi-unit home as long as you live in one unit.

Third point: Rent the other units

Earn rental income from the other units, and if you've previously managed a rental property, or you agree to hire a property manager, you can use the prospective rental income to qualify.

Fourth point: Payment reserves

VA requires that you have enough extra money to cover up to 6 months of house payments, but this money can be in a retirement or investment account.

Last point: No down payment

As with all VA loans, no down payment is required.

Helpful next steps