1% Rule
Hi everyone!
I am in a bit of a pickle brought on entirely from overthinking… I think.
I have a mortgage on a home that is close to 100 miles away from where I work (a minimum 3 hour commute).
My girlfriend and I are seriously talking about me moving in with her, she lives much, much closer to where I work.
I would very much like to include real estate in my portfolio and I am thinking about renting out my house. As of right now the 1% Rule is a little out of reach for me. My current mortgage is $2700, and I have gotten rent estimates from a local property management company that is no higher than $2500.
Compatibles aren’t really all that better. My house is located in Central California, in Los Banos.
What other resources can I look into to decide whether it would make more sense for me to sell my house rather than rent it?
Thanks everyone!!
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Comments
Hi there -- Just a few thoughts...
Bigger Pockets has a rent estimator: www.biggerpockets.com You can look at listings in the area to see what other rentals are going for. You could try to rent the house furnished, month-to-month (for example, to traveling nurses or others who need medium-term housing), or do a short-term rental (if local regulations allow) -- both ways to potentially earn more rental income. You could also list it for rent and see if you get any bites at whatever amount you want. However, if rents in the area are ~$2,500 and your mortgage is ~$2,700, then it sounds like it will be tough to rent profitably when you factor in all the other costs of ownership.
If you've lived in the house for at least two of the past five years, you can sell without paying capital gains tax (but please confirm this with your tax advisor before going this route). You could then take the cash and invest in a market where the rental would cash flow.
Or, if you think property values in the area will grow, you could take the loss for now and hope to reap the benefits longer term. Some might call this speculation, but I think it depends on how confident you are in the market.
Just a few ideas! The best approach may depend on your goals and why you want to include real estate in your portfolio (cash flow, long-term wealth building, tax benefits).
Thank you for the link, I’ll definitely check it out.
I’d love to include real estate in my portfolio for pretty much all the reasons you listed.
I don’t know how the market is going to be here, but there are a lot of new homes being constructed.
Another view can be given by calculating your "Cap Rate"
ChooseFI | Ep 142 | Real Estate Investing Strategies With Paula Pant
... and compare that with returns available in other alternatives.
Just because you sell this house doesn't mean that you can't have exposure to real estate. In fact, you could roll over gains into something with both prospects for appreciation and immediate cash flow upon purchase!
Always think about opportunity costs--how does one option compare to foregone options? (Here, other houses/investments you could own instead).
Thanks for the great response! I’ll definitely give that episode another listen!
Great response!
The 1% "rule" is not a rule, but a rough guideline for deciding whether it is worth digging into a property. It is also based on the purchase price, not the monthly mortgage payment. Most importantly, it does not work in every market, especially high cost of living markets.
As someone else said you need to run the numbers on your current situation. Doesn't sound like a long term rental will work unless the home has amazing appreciation potential and you have a ridiculously low interest rate and don't mind losing $200+/month (this will be higher with maintenance and Capex). Short or medium term rental may work especially if your girlfriend's place is already furnished so you can just leave your stuff there. Check out AirDNA or PriceLabs or FurnishedFinder to get estimates. Selling and taking those capital gains potentially tax free may also be a great idea - you can then use those funds as a downpayment on a better market for your long term goals.
I forgot to mention that the current estimated price is $483k and I owe $395k.