Rental income from an existing accessory dwelling unit may help some Atlanta buyers qualify for a mortgage, but it does not count automatically. This post breaks down Fannie Mae's current requirements, how the lender actually calculates the rent, where FHA and Freddie Mac differ, and what permits, zoning, and appraisal findings have to do with it. Whether the rent helps in your case is a lender decision, and the questions worth asking start early.

The best Metro Atlanta neighborhoods for multigenerational homes break into four buckets: older brick ranches with finished basements in Stone Mountain, Tucker, Lithonia, and Stockbridge under $500K; new-construction multigen floor plans like Lennar's Next Gen in Forsyth, Cherokee, and West Cobb; intown ADU-friendly neighborhoods like Kirkwood, East Atlanta, and Grant Park where City of Atlanta zoning supports detached units; and suburban two-stories with main-level guest suites across Lawrenceville, Cumming, and Acworth. Nearly a decade helping Metro Atlanta buyers means I know which floor plans actually work, where the zoning supports what you need, and where the inventory is real. Here's what you need to know.