How to Buy a Home for $1,000 | House Hacking Strategies for First-Time Buyers & Loan Officers

In this episode of The LO Down Mortgage Podcast, host Connor Bartley sits down with Danielle Anderson, a Colorado-based loan officer and nationally licensed house hacking specialist known for her bold promise: “I help you buy a home for $1,000.”

Danielle breaks down how house hacking helps first-time homebuyers overcome today’s two biggest challenges—high monthly payments and lack of cash to close—especially in high-cost markets like Denver. She explains how tools like down payment assistance programs, seller concessions, and rental income strategies (roommates, basement lock-offs, Airbnb, ADUs) can turn a primary residence into a long-term wealth-building asset.

You’ll learn:

What house hacking really is (and why it’s growing fast with Millennials and Gen Z)

How buyers can use roommates or short-term rentals to afford homeownership

Why homeowners have dramatically higher net worth than renters

How Danielle uses education tools like MBS Highway to show renters the long-term cost of waiting

Real borrower stories where house hacking turned “impossible” into affordable

How loan officers and agents can niche down into house hacking to stand out

Why systems, follow-up, and events are critical to scaling impact in 2026

Whether you’re a loan officer looking to differentiate, a real estate agent wanting better solutions for affordability, or a buyer wondering if homeownership is still possible, this conversation will change how you think about buying a home.

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