Maximizing Your Property’s Potential: Should You Sell or Rent Out Your Home?

Deciding whether to sell your house or rent it out is a significant decision, especially when planning to purchase another home. In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits and challenges of each option, helping you make an informed choice. Here is the video if you prefer to watch as well!

Pros of Renting Out Your Home

  1. Additional Income: Renting out your current home can provide a steady income stream, which may help offset your debt-to-income ratio when purchasing your next house.
  2. Tax Advantages: Owning rental property may offer tax benefits, including deductions for depreciation, property taxes, and maintenance expenses.
  3. Growing Your Real Estate Portfolio: Keeping your current home as a rental property can be a fantastic way to expand your investment portfolio and build long-term wealth.

Cons of Renting Out Your Home

  1. Becoming a Landlord: Managing a rental property requires time and effort. From finding tenants to handling maintenance requests and managing property finances, it involves a significant commitment.
  2. Navigating Landlord-Tenant Laws: Laws and regulations affecting landlords can be complex and vary by location. Staying compliant requires keeping up-to-date with ongoing legal changes, which can be particularly challenging in states with stringent tenant protections.
  3. Market Volatility: The rental market can fluctuate, affecting your ability to rent out the property consistently and at a profitable rate.

Financial Considerations

Before deciding, it’s crucial to crunch the numbers to see if renting out your home makes financial sense. Consider using tools like Rentometer to estimate potential rental income and compare it against your mortgage and maintenance costs. Don’t forget to factor in expenses for property management, vacancy rates, and potential major repairs.

Selling Your Home

Alternatively, selling your home might be the better choice if the financials don’t favor renting it out, or if you prefer not to deal with the complexities of being a landlord. Selling can provide a lump sum of money which could be used to pay down debt, invest, or purchase another property without the responsibilities of managing a rental.

Tools to Help You Decide

To help you make a well-informed decision, I offer a detailed calculator that projects the financial outcomes of renting vs. selling your home. This tool can be invaluable in visualizing the long-term impacts of each choice. If you’re interested in a more personalized approach, consider booking a strategy session with me through my link. Together, we can explore all aspects of your situation to find the best path forward.

Final Thoughts

Each strategy has its merits and challenges. The best choice depends on your financial situation, lifestyle preferences, and long-term goals. If you’re considering renting out your home as part of your investment strategy, make sure to consult with a real estate professional to fully understand the implications and opportunities.

For more personalized advice or to utilize my rental vs. selling calculator, please reach out to schedule a strategy session. Together, we can ensure you make the best decision based on comprehensive analysis and tailored advice.

Thank you for reading, and if you found this information helpful, don’t forget to check out more of my content on Youtube and Instagram for further real estate insights and tips.

First Time Home Buyer, Future Investor

When I think about the story of this purchase, I realize the center of this story is not the charming Montavilla ranch. This story is about my client, Russell. He is a first time home buyer, arborist, future Portland real estate mogul, and all around cool guy to know.

Me and Russell at the signing for his first home!

I met Russell when my neighbor recommended his tree company and was immediately impressed with his knowledge and passion for his work. I hired him for a job at my own home, and for every tree need I’ve had since. He is now my go-to person for all things tree and shrub related and I recommend him to everyone in my area.

I learned about his interest in real estate after he did a few projects at my house. Russell had a very focused idea of what he wanted. He wanted to buy a house he could live in comfortably for a few years. However, his end goal was to eventually turn this house into a rental. He is interested in building wealth through real estate and was ready to start building his portfolio! Russell has an investor’s mindset and an eye for what will make a good rental.

I’m happy to say that after touring lots of homes in southeast Portland, we found one that was perfect! After less than 10 hours on the market, we had toured and submitted an offer on this property. The 2 bedroom, 800 sqft home in Montavilla fits his criteria perfectly. A well maintained, move-in ready home, with easy access to freeways for commuting, within walking distance to shops and restaurants on Stark, an attached garage Russell can convert to a woodworking studio. (One of his talents is making, and teaching others to make, beautiful wooden spoons, butter knives, and serving ware.) The house is also on a spacious lot with room for a garden and, of course, some trees!

Russell in front of his first home!

The sellers accepted Russell’s offer after waiting a few days to review all others that had come in. When writing his offer, he put his best foot forward because he knew this was the home he wanted. He didn’t want to miss out on such a great investment so he offered above asking, knowing the home was worth it. The sellers agreed to a small repair that needed doing, but the rest of the transaction was a breeze. We signed the closing docs on five years to the day he moved to Portland, and I couldn’t be more happy for him!

Congrats on your first home Russell!!!