Multi-family & investment homes
Let the building help pay for itself.
I bought my own two-family in the Jersey City Heights, so I know this purchase from the buyer's side: the financing, the tenant already in place, the inspection on two kitchens and two boilers, and the first year as a landlord. Whether you want to live in one unit and rent the other, or you are adding a building to a portfolio, I run the numbers with you before you fall in love with a house. One agent, every showing, in English, Romanian or Spanish.
Tell me what you are looking forLive in one unit, rent the rest
An owner-occupied two- to four-family can be financed like a primary home, with a much smaller down payment than an investment property. The rent from the other units covers part of your mortgage from the first month.
Rent, taxes, insurance, reserves
A building works when the rent covers the mortgage, the property tax, insurance, water and sewer, repairs and the months a unit sits empty. Use the calculator below, then let me check the rents and taxes for the actual block.
Know them before you buy
Rent control, lead-safe certification for older buildings, certificates of occupancy, the leases and deposits you inherit. I check each one for the specific building before you make an offer, and your attorney confirms them during attorney review.
Multi-family cash-flow calculator
Change any number and the results update. The starting values are only an example, not a quote or a listing. Replace them with the asking price, the real rents and the tax bill of the building you are looking at.
Cap rate and cash-on-cash return appear when you untick “I will live in one of the units” and enter the rent for every unit. An estimate for planning only, not a loan offer, appraisal or tax advice. Rates, taxes, insurance and what a lender will count as income vary; confirm each one with your lender, your insurance agent and the town before you make an offer.
Where the two- to four-family homes are
The older neighborhoods of Jersey City have the largest stock of small multi-family homes, and Bayonne has many two-families too. Each has a different price point, rental demand and character. Each page below walks a full day there and ends with the real estate notes.
- The Heights, Jersey City
- Greenville, Jersey City
- Bergen-Lafayette
- Journal Square
- West Side, Jersey City
- Bayonne
Comparing towns side by side? See the Hudson County neighborhood comparison.
Multi-family FAQ
Can I buy a two-family with a small down payment if I live in it?
Often, yes. If you live in one of the units, it can be financed as your primary home: FHA loans allow as little as 3.5% down on two- to four-unit homes, and conventional loans can go as low as 5% on an owner-occupied two- to four-unit home. Your lender confirms what you qualify for, and I introduce you to lenders who close these every month.
Does the rent from the other unit help me qualify?
Usually. Many lenders count about 75% of the other units' market rent or current lease toward your income. That is why a two-family can be within reach when a single-family at the same price is not. Ask your lender how they treat rental income before you make an offer.
Is the building under rent control?
Jersey City and several other Hudson County towns have rent control ordinances. Whether one applies depends on the building, its age, the number of units and who lives there. I check the specific building with the town before you make an offer, and your attorney confirms it during attorney review.
What do I need before a new tenant moves in?
In New Jersey, a rental unit in a building built before 1978 needs a lead-safe certification at tenant turnover under the state's 2021 lead law, and many towns also require a certificate of occupancy or registration for each new tenancy. I give you the checklist for your town before closing, so the first lease starts on time.
What are you looking for?
Tell me your budget, how many units, the towns you are considering and whether you plan to live in the building. I come back within a day with what fits, and the real rents and taxes behind it.
Got it. You'll hear from me within a day with buildings that fit and the numbers behind them.