Episode 245 - From Zero to House Hacker: How Tony Cruz Built Wealth in Denver with Co-Living Real Estate Strategy

What if your first real estate deal could pay your mortgage and fast-track financial independence? In this episode of Invest2FI, Craig sits down with Tony Cruz, a first-time house hacker who purchased a $650,000 single-family home in Lakewood, Colorado—all while living abroad in Peru. Tony shares how he saved $60,000 over three years, worked with an investor-friendly agent, and used $15,000 in seller credits to buy down his interest rate from 6.9% to 6.25%.  

He explains how he converted the layout into a six-bedroom co-living setup, added egress windows, and completed $65,000 in renovations while preserving privacy by living in the basement. Tony breaks down how he filled his rooms during Denver’s off-season using Roomies and Facebook groups and screened quality tenants with clear standards. This episode is a detailed roadmap for anyone ready to take action on their first house hack, even in a competitive, high-cost market. 

Podcast Highlights: 

[02:44] Tony Cruz joins the show and shares first home goals 
[04:01 How Reddit inspired remote work and early FIRE goals 
[05:07] First homeownership dream and link to house hacking 
[10:00] Choosing Denver and identifying price limits and tradeoffs 
[10:45] The value of investor-friendly agents with co-living insight 
[14:54] Property specs including layout and duplex potential 
[23:41] Turning 3-bed main listing into 6-7 bedrooms total 
[25:55] Total $65K renovation cost breakdown and decisions made 
[29:27] Filled rooms proactively despite offseason tenant timing 
[33:10] Tenant screening methods and red flag messaging filters 
[34:55] Managing privacy and shared living as a live-in landlord 
[40:05] Long-term strategy and personal lessons from first deal 
[50:30] final advice for first-timers afraid to take the leap 

HOST
Craig Curelop   
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefiguy   
📘 Book: https://store.biggerpockets.com/products/the-house-hacking-strategy   
🏘️ Buy Real Estate: https://bit.ly/3V3QDze    

GUEST
Tony Cruz
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stay.cruzin/ 

Use Code: ILOVECRAIG for Coliving Conference discount