Real Estate under Stress: When Your Investment Doesn't Go as Planned

In September 2025, 30-year-old Sarah Chen was at a crossroads. In early 2022, she had become a "house hacker" when she purchased a duplex in Boulder, Colorado, with the intent to live in one unit and rent the other. The price of the duplex was $750,000--a sum that was far more than she could afford on her salary alone but could manage with the additional rental income. Before purchasing the duplex, Chen had analyzed the numbers and determined that although her finances would be tight initially, they would loosen over time because her mortgage was fixed, and her salary would grow. However, over the past three years, reality had differed from her expectations, and her financial condition had deteriorated. Now, with her cash flow turning negative, Chen needed to decide how best to move forward.