When the SF Chronicle published that in order to buy a home in the Silicon Valley a buyer needs to earn a minimum of $150,000 a year, the groan was heard across the Bay Area as 1st & 2nd time homebuyers cringed when they looked at their w-2’s. Trust me – I know the feeling. Born and raised in beautiful San Carlos I knew it was only a matter of time before our property values would tip $1,000,000. Of course I was just 16 when I made this prediction and sadly no one listens to the young.
Now that I am a professional Realtor, going on 11 years in this competitive industry, people start to listen. Finally!
Yes, in order to buy a 3 bedroom 2 bath home on a 5000 sqft lot in just about any town on the peninsula it is going to take a lot of pretty pennies. But before the 1st and 2nd time homebuyers give up – lend me your ear for just a second.
As a 2nd time homebuyer myself. (Just sold my 1st place last year), I’ve been saving my money like crazy – and it doesn’t seem to add up to much when homes in the area are selling for over their listed price with multiple offers. Trust me, I feel the sadness so many buyers are feeling right now. However there is hope! We just need to change our goals.
So the Silicon Valley is getting very very pricey. When clients think about buying their first place, they often think of buying the home they plan on living in for the next 10 years. Which is a wise plan, but if you are not raking in the $150,000 income – don’t think you cannot buy. Just think outside the box.
I recently sat down with my broker to chat about my plans to buy another property and the sentiment I’ve heard from prospective home buyers around the peninsula. His advice – buy investment properties. Maybe not in the immediate area, but down South or the East Bay where there are MANY well-priced opportunities to buy. So you might not be planning to live in Antioch – but there are many people who are and buying an investment property gets your foot in the Real Estate door. Yes, you will become a landlord with home responsibilities. But then again, if you wanted to buy a home in the first place you are pretty much signing up for a lifetime of being your own landlord and caring for any property you purchase. So the flip side here is – you are the landlord and you reap the benefit of INCOME on your investment property.
That income can be used to buy another property. Once you become an investor, you can 10-31 exchange one investment for another, convert it to a primary residence (consult with your tax advisor for restrictions) or simply continue to pay the mortgage and keep collecting your income.
Don’t have enough money to invest by yourself? Find other like-minded individuals with capital and form an investment group. There are some restrictions so I do advise you consult a Realtor (I am always available) and a Real Estate Attorney to draft an investment agreement.
The benefits of buying your first investment property are similar to buying your own home. There are tax incentives and there are headaches. But in the game of Real Estate – the only way you can advance is to become a player in the game.
What are your thoughts on investing in Real Estate or forming an Investment Group – I’d love to hear YOUR opinions!
I wrote this article – thanks for reading – Sabrina
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Thanks for reading – Sabrina
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