Two topics: I want to get into rental property by buying a multi-unit property, maybe a small apartment building, and then living in one of the units. Would I qualify for owner occupancy? Is the rental income from the units considered income when applying for a loan? What is a standard down payment in this situation? Also, can I be a very successful real estate investor outside of hyper appreciation areas such as California? What are the benefits of real estate investment outside of these areas? It seems like you need at least 40% down to have positive cash in these expensive areas and only 10% in lower appreciating areas. This seems like a benefit. Is my assumption correct? Thanks in advance.
