My Favorite Real Estate Investment Strategy

My Favorite Real Estate Investment Strategy

Investing in Real Estate Series — Week 5

Have you ever thought about owning an investment property? Then this series is for you!  I’m covering everything to know when it comes to investing in real estate, including the different options out there and how to make it happen.

You’ll also get a complete rundown on why investing in a rental property can boost your finances, the tax benefits, plus what you need to know about being a landlord, how you can best flip the right property for a profit, an investment strategy for move-up homeowners, and how you can save money when it comes time to sell an investment property.

This week you’ll learn my two favorite real estate investing strategies.  I hope they give you some ideas about how you could invest in real estate too. 

I hope you’ve been enjoying this investing in real estate series.  One of the reasons we love real estate is because we believe in the wealth building power real estate can provide. 

Of course, it’s a good idea to diversify your investment portfolio and you should speak with a certified financial planner about how to do that. 

But, when it comes to real estate, there are many different ways you could invest and today, we want to share our two favorites.

And before we dive in, remember that your investment strategy will be different from your neighbors, coworkers, or friends. It may change over the years as your financial situation and personal life changes too. It is important to speak with me, your financial planner, CPA, and realtor to get a plan in place before making any decisions.

Buying A Vacation Property

Do you love heading to the beach every summer?  Do the mountains call you every winter that you find yourself going to a certain ski town every chance you get? 

Well, then you might want to consider buying a property out of town where YOU like to go and rent it out when you aren’t there.

What I’m suggesting is essentially a vacation rental property that you rent out to others most of the time and that you get to use a few weeks and weekends a year too. 

Nowadays with short term rental apps like VRBO, Air BNB and even longer term “corporate” rental companies, short term rentals can be a great option for how you invest in real estate. You can also look into paying a management company to handle bookings and cleanings too.

What I love about investing in a vacation property is not only can you potentially get a great return on your investment, but you can also enjoy the property too!

Make money and have a fun vacation?  Yes please!  

There are some tax differences to having a vacation property be an investment property instead of being a second home, so be sure to talk to a good accountant who can explain the difference and the rules.  If you need a good CPA, email me and I can give you a few recommendations.

Moving and Keeping Your Current Home As A Rental Property

If I had to pick just ONE real estate investment to do, this would be the one.  This is the investment strategy that I’ve used personally and have seen many clients use over the years as well.

Here’s how it works:

As our life changes, so must our homes.  Gone are the days when we buy one home we own forever. 

So, when it comes time to move, keep the home you have as a rental property and then move on to your next home.

At first glance, you might be thinking, “Don’t I need the money from my current home to buy my next home?” 

Maybe, but maybe not.   When you are ready to move from your current home, it’s important to talk to your team of advisors—me, your real estate agent, your CPA and financial planner.  Together we can look at your financial situation and the financing options available to you and provide our best recommendation. 

This strategy could be more possible for you than you think and it’s worth looking into.

Here’s why it’s such a great strategy:

When we buy a home we are going to move into, not only is a lower down payment required, but the interest rate is lower than if you were to buy an investment property you’ll never live in. 

So, you’ll save on both downpayment and the interest rate when you buy a home you plan on moving into and then when it’s time to move, keeping it and turning it into a rental. 

While it’s a rental, you get the standard benefits of having an investment property—tax advantages, someone else paying down your mortgage and equity gain. 

A word of caution—there are rules about how long you must live in a property and your intentions when you buy it.  Don’t commit loan fraud by saying you are going to live in a property as your primary residence if that’s not your intention.  I’m suggesting that you buy a home with every intention of living there and loving it for years to come, but when it comes time to move—5 or 10 years from now, look into how you can keep it, rent it and move on to your next home all at the same time.

If you or anyone you know has been thinking about wanting to invest in real estate, I’d love to help.  There are so many great ways to add real estate to your investment portfolio depending on your goals and financial situation.  Schedule a time to talk here and let’s make it happen!