House Hack Simulator · Summary

Strong house hack: rental income offsets most housing costs

Based on a $400K purchase, 2 rentable units at $900/mo each, and a 15-year horizon. Is this a strong house hack opportunity?

73

House Hack Score

Strong

Your net housing cost is $108/mo less than renting at $1,800/mo.

Net monthly housing cost

$1,692/mo

Rent coverage

73%

Final equity

$359K

Wealth vs rent & invest

+$382K

Key drivers

Rent coverage

Fair

Net housing cost

Fair

Equity growth

Strong

Scenario assumptions

Purchase price

$400K

Down payment

10% ($40K)

Mortgage rate

6.75%

Rentable units

2 units

Avg rent per unit

$900/mo

Market rent if not hacking

$1,800/mo

Time horizon

15 years

Closing costs

3%

Selling costs

6%

Property tax

1.2%

Insurance

$2,000/yr

HOA

None

Maintenance

1.5% of value/yr

Vacancy rate

5%

Rent growth

3%

Home appreciation

3%

Investment return

5.5%

What’s driving this

Rental income covers 73% of your mortgage, reducing your effective housing cost from $3,402 to $1,692/mo — $108 less than renting at $1,800/mo. Over 15 years you build $359K in equity. House hack wealth overtakes the rent-and-invest alternative around year 3. By year 15, house hacking puts you $382K ahead of renting and investing.

Edit This Scenario

This summary is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Results are estimates based on the assumptions shown above. Actual outcomes will vary based on market conditions, tenant quality, tax implications, maintenance costs, and other factors not fully captured here. Selling costs default to 6% of home value. Consult a financial advisor and real estate professional for personalized guidance.