BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast

4 Cities Where You Can Live for Free in 2025

Jan 31, 2025

Join Craig Curelop, author and house hacking expert, and Austin Wolff, data analyst at BiggerPockets, as they unveil four US cities where you could potentially live for free in 2025. They dive into the power of house hacking, discussing how it can drastically cut living expenses. The duo examines promising markets like Chattanooga and Indianapolis, weighing job opportunities against home prices. Listen in for invaluable insights on navigating real estate investments and practical tips to achieve financial freedom while enjoying life.

34:19

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Episode guests

Austin Wolf

Craig Curelop

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

House hacking is a powerful strategy that allows individuals to significantly reduce or eliminate living expenses by renting out parts of multi-unit properties.

Choosing the right market for house hacking is essential, as it should balance affordability with job growth and personal lifestyle preferences.

Deep dives

Understanding House Hacking

House hacking is a real estate strategy where individuals purchase multi-unit properties to rent out parts of the property, significantly reducing or eliminating their living expenses. Typically, a buyer makes a low down payment of around 3-5% on a property and must live there for at least a year. By renting out the remaining units or rooms, they can offset mortgage payments or generate enough income to live for free, ultimately kickstarting their journey in real estate investing. This approach is particularly effective in markets with strong fundamentals, which can lead to both short- and long-term financial benefits.

Intro

6min

Navigating House Hacking Challenges

5min

Exploring Northwest Arkansas and Real Estate Investment Opportunities

5min

Chattanooga vs. Charlotte: Affordable Living in 2025

7min

Exploring Prime Real Estate Markets and House Hacking Strategies

5min

Unlocking Indianapolis: A Real Estate Opportunity

7min

One of the best ways to “live for free” is a strategy almost every successful real estate investor uses at some point in their journey: house hacking. You’ve probably heard of it before—house hacking allows you to significantly reduce (or eliminate) your mortgage/rent payment, so your housing cost hits rock bottom or even zero. This helps you save more money every month, invest faster, and reach financial freedom after a short (but worthwhile) period of sacrifice.

Which US markets are best for house hacking, getting a great job, and paying next to nothing for housing? We’re presenting four of the best house hacking markets in the country, some of which you’ll probably be tempted to move to. These markets all have lower home prices but respectable wages, things to do, and great rents for you to collect.

Who better to judge these markets than the man who wrote The House Hacking Strategy, Craig Curelop? Data scientist Austin Wolff is pitching these four real estate markets to Craig and Dave as the house hacking duo votes on whether they’d move to that market to house hack or stay put where they are.

In This Episode We Cover:

How to reduce (or eliminate) your monthly mortgage/rent payment with house hacking

The different levels of house hacking (comfort vs. profitability)

What makes a market worthwhile to house hack in (it ISN’T just about the money)

A mountain biking capital with booming job growth and low home prices

A “smart-grid” affordable city close to two major markets

Great jobs, an excellent airport, solid schools, and strong growth from this underrated southern market

Buying a house for under $300K in this city with a sports atmosphere

And So Much More!

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