Multi-Family & Triple-Decker Loans in MassachusettsChris Galli & The Galli Team
Live in one unit, rent the others. Buy a two-family, triple-decker or four-unit home with as little as 5% down conventional, 3.5% down FHA, or no down payment with VA for eligible veterans. Lenders can count part of the rent, often 75% of it, and our Worcester office team runs those numbers before you write an offer.
Answer a few quick questions and a loan officer will map your best 2–4 unit options.
Prefer to talk? Call 941-529-1040 or book a call.
What does "live in one, rent the others" mean for a Massachusetts buyer?
A 2–4 unit home bought as your primary residence is financed like an owner-occupied home, not an investment property. You move into one unit, and rent from the other units helps cover the mortgage. Because you live there, you can use owner-occupied programs with smaller down payments than most investor loans. Chris Galli, Region Manager at Novus Home Mortgage, and The Galli Team help multi-family buyers from our Massachusetts office at 8 Norwich St, Worcester. Plan to rent every unit and live elsewhere? Look at our DSCR investment loans instead.
Which loan programs can I use to buy a 2–4 unit home in Massachusetts?
Conventional: as little as 5% down
Since November 2023, Fannie Mae allows up to 95% loan-to-value on owner-occupied 2–4 unit purchases underwritten through Desktop Underwriter. It doesn't apply to high-balance or manually underwritten loans, so the loan must stay within the standard conforming limit. Six months of reserves are generally required.
FHA: 3.5% down on 1–4 units
FHA allows 3.5% down on owner-occupied homes up to four units for borrowers who meet the credit minimum. Three- and four-unit homes must pass the self-sufficiency test and need at least three months of reserves.
VA: no down payment
Eligible veterans can finance a duplex, triple-decker or fourplex when they live in one unit. To count rent, VA generally calls for six months of PITI in reserves and landlord experience or a property manager.
MassHousing programs
We offer MassHousing programs, which can be used for condos and 1- to 4-family homes, with down payment help for eligible buyers. On a 2–4 family purchase, one borrower must complete landlord counseling before closing. Income limits apply. See our down payment assistance guide.
How much rent counts
Lenders usually start at 75% of the gross rent from the units you won't live in, using the lease or the appraiser's rent schedule (Form 1025). With under 12 months of landlord experience, conventional rent can't exceed the property's payment.
Lead paint & older buildings
Most triple-deckers were built before 1978. You'll get the Property Transfer Lead Paint Notification before you sign, and if a child under 6 will live there, a new owner has 90 days from taking title to delead or reach Interim Control.
Where do Massachusetts buyers house-hack?
Worcester triple-deckers
Three stacked apartments, often with porches on every floor, across Main South, Grafton Hill, Vernon Hill and Shrewsbury Street.
Springfield, Lowell, Fitchburg & Brockton
Two-family homes where the same live-in-one, rent-one math applies.
Four-unit buildings in Worcester County
Higher loan limits, plus FHA's self-sufficiency test and bigger reserve requirements.
Inspect every unit
Ask your inspector to check porches and egress, each unit's heat, the electrical service, roof, foundation and whether each unit has its own meters.
What are the 2026 loan limits for 2-, 3- and 4-unit homes in Worcester County?
Limits rise with the number of units and apply to the loan amount, not the price. Worcester County uses the national baseline conforming limit, and its FHA limit sits slightly above the national floor. Greater Boston counties have higher limits, and limits reset each year.
| Units | Conforming | FHA |
| 2 units | $1,066,250 | $697,800 |
| 3 units | $1,288,800 | $843,500 |
| 4 units | $1,601,750 | $1,048,300 |
More ways we can help
What would a triple-decker really cost me to live in?
Our Triple-Decker House-Hack Calculator estimates your full payment (PITI), the lender's 75% rental offset, and your net monthly cost to live in your unit after rent comes in. It also checks your loan against the 2026 Worcester County limits and runs FHA's self-sufficiency test. The rate box is left blank on purpose so you use your real quote.
Worked example (round numbers, no current rates): a $650,000 three-unit with 5% down is a $617,500 loan, within the $1,288,800 limit. Rent two units at $1,900 for $3,800 gross; the lender's 75% view is $2,850. If the full payment were $5,000 (a placeholder, not a quote), your net cost after a 5% vacancy allowance would be about $1,390 a month.
Excludes HOA, utilities you pay as landlord, repairs and deleading. Qualifying rent, payment, mortgage insurance and reserves are set by underwriting. Not a loan offer. All loans subject to credit approval.
I've been in this industry for over 29 years, and I started The Galli Team for one reason: too many good people were being told "no" by lenders who didn't know how to structure their deal.
Our Worcester office team works with multi-family buyers across Worcester County and the rest of Massachusetts. We compare conventional, FHA, VA and MassHousing side by side, check your loan against the right unit-count limit, line up the reserves you'll need, and show you how the rent will be counted before you make an offer.
Why multi-family buyers choose us over big banks
A triple-decker isn't a single-family with extra rooms. It takes a lender who knows how rent, reserves and unit limits work together.
| Big Banks & Online Lenders | The Galli Team ✦ | |
|---|---|---|
| Response time | 24 – 72 hours | Within 2 hours |
| 5%-down conventional on 2–4 units | Sometimes | ✓ |
| FHA self-sufficiency math before you offer | Limited | ✓ |
| Rental income reviewed up front | Limited | ✓ |
| MassHousing programs | Sometimes | ✓ |
| DSCR if you won't live there | ✗ | ✓ |
| Denied elsewhere? | No second look | We restructure your file |
| Lending states | Varies | All 50 states |
Don't take our word for it.
Real people. Real loans. Real results.
"This is my 5th property purchase and the smoothest transaction by far! I will be using Chris as my go-to mortgage lender from now on."
"Chris, Julie and Rosa were very helpful purchasing my vacation home in Florida. Available all hours. Will definitely use them again!"
"Chris and his team were great to work with. Always available, kept us updated throughout. We closed early with no surprises. Highly recommend!"
Multi-family loan questions, answered.
No vague answers. We explain exactly how this works before you ever fill out a form.
Get My Free Loan Plan →Sources: Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-3.1-08 (Rental Income), B3-4.1-01 (Minimum Reserve Requirements) and Eligibility Matrix; Fannie Mae DU update for 2–4 unit LTVs (weekend of Nov. 18, 2023); FHFA 2026 conforming loan limits; HUD 2026 FHA forward mortgage limits and HUD Handbook 4000.1; VA Pamphlet 26-7, Ch. 4 and 38 CFR 36.4340; MassHousing 2026 Homeownership Product Matrix; mass.gov (MassHousing Mortgages; Property Transfer Lead Paint Notification). Program rules change. Verified October 2026.
Ready to run the numbers on a real building?
Send us the listing and we'll show you the down payment, reserves and how the rent counts, before you write your offer.
Answer a few quick questions and a loan officer from our Worcester office team will map your best 2–4 unit options.