Is buying a two-family home a good first purchase?

A two-family home can work as a first purchase for a buyer willing to take on landlord duties in exchange for rental income that helps offset the mortgage, though it also adds tenant management and maintenance responsibilities a single-family first home does not. The right fit depends on a buyer's comfort with that added work as much as the financing. Joel Boss walks first-time buyers through that trade-off honestly before recommending a property type.