DIARY ENTRY #6
House Hack Diaries
The best deal-finding tool for house hackers costs $0.
It’s not what you think. It’s the MLS.
Somewhere along the way, we convince ourselves that to be a real estate investor, we have to act like a full-time one. That mindset creates unnecessary guilt and pushes people toward strategies that don’t match their lifestyles.
What works for someone doing real estate all day, every day doesn’t make sense when you already have a day job. We think we need off-market deals to be legitimate investors. That might work for some people, but for the vast majority of house hackers, it’s not worth the time, cost, or complexity.
Buying on the MLS is simpler, more repeatable, and far more realistic.
1. Simplicity saves time
Ever listened to a BiggerPockets podcast?
You’ve probably heard a million different ways to find deals. Sending direct mail to people with tax issues, befriending hoarders and cat ladies to take a house off their hands, meeting with wholesalers, door knocking, or dialing til’ you drop.
All of these work, but come at costs. Doing creative, off-market strategies to find deals takes time and often costs money. When running real estate as a full-time business, it makes sense because they need to hit certain amounts of deals per year to make money.
The calculus is completely different when you’re buying one deal per year as a house hack. Time is your most limited resource. Is all the extra razzle dazzle really worth the time and money when you only need one good deal?
While the MLS is accessible to everyone and competition is greater, it’s still your biggest asset because it outsources deal finding. Even if you plan to invest full-time someday, it’s hard to layer on extra marketing, outreach, and follow-up while balancing a W-2. Your time is better spent growing your W-2 income and mastering the fundamentals of real estate investing.
Wealth building doesn’t have to be complicated. With the MLS, an agent can set up a search that matches your criteria, and you can review it in 10 minutes a day.
2. Base hits, not home runs
The movie Moneyball is one of my favorite sports movies of all time. It tells the story of how the Oakland Athletics built a winning baseball team on a budget by assembling a roster of overlooked guys with strong underlying stats such as on base percentage. Getting on base puts your team in position to score with the next at bat, it’s not all about swinging for the fences. That approach took a team full of “average” players to the playoffs.
Real estate works the same way. You don’t need the perfect home-run deal, you need to get on base. That’s where the MLS thrives.
A “good enough” deal bought early beats the perfect deal you never bought. Once you buy your first house hack and start repeating the same strategy over and over, it compounds. Equity builds, rents grow, appreciation kicks in, and your confidence improves with every at-bat. You might not get rich off of one deal, but string enough base hit deals together and you most certainly will build wealth over time.
3. Fewer question marks
Here’s the honest truth: buying a house on the MLS is WAY less of a pain in the ass and comes with meaningfully less risk. I’ve bought dozens of deals off-market during my flipping days, and I’ve bought most of my house hacks on the MLS. Based on my experience, the MLS is more regulated and scrutinized by design. For less experienced investors, that’s a huge advantage.
MLS deals are more forgiving
The MLS comes with required disclosures, standardized listing information, and far fewer “trust me” situations. That transparency reduces surprises that can lead to complicated situations. I once put $30,000 in earnest money on an off-market deal. The seller stole the money and ran away to China without us ever formally closing. I could’ve sued him for another $30,000, but I decided to just cut my losses and learn my lesson. There are far more guardrails and formalities that protect you when you buy on the MLS.
Financing that works for beginners
Have you ever done subject-to financing? How about hard money? Are you good at raising capital for private money deals?
If you already have those skills, that’s great. More tools in your toolkit means more ways to manage risk. But for most house hackers, especially those without prior experience, it’s just another layer of complexity standing between you and taking action. You’re better off first proving that you can buy, operate, and live in a property successfully before adding more advanced strategies.
MLS deals, on the other hand, pair cleanly with loan products lenders actually understand. FHA, conventional, and other low-down-payment options are easier to learn, qualify for, and close on. That matters when financing is the linchpin of the entire deal.
Clarity
MLS transactions run through a defined process with clear roles, timelines, and expectations. Your agent represents you, the seller has their own agent, and responsibilities are clearly assigned at every step. That structure makes deals easier to follow, creates accountability, and ensures that even in a complex transaction, you have a professional guiding you through it.
Work smarter, not harder
House hacking isn't about finding secret deals or working harder than everyone else. It’s about using your time wisely, stacking small wins, and choosing a path that lets you stay consistent while life keeps moving.