Investing in College Real Estate

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Forbes recently published their list of the top metro areas for college investing. The idea behind the article and list is, instead of spending thousands of dollars on room and board for your student, buying a property might be a better investment. You can purchase a condo or house and rent it out to not only your child, but also to other students as well – of course, this would all be done in an effort to profit.

This is a fantastic idea, and I believe all parents with college students should consider this option. Others looking for investment properties should also consider purchasing college real estate. Be aware that there are both benefits and pitfalls to renting to students, and it is a good idea to know the law before getting yourself into these or any other properties.

Remember when you were 18-22 years old? I know I wasn’t the most responsible person in the world back then. I believe the hole patching tool of choice was Crest Toothpaste. I’d have to take a wild guess and say that students will typically cause a bit more damage then your average tenant, and turnover is pretty high as well. At the same time, if you just assume a higher turnover rate and have an airtight inspection process tied to your security deposit, these factors don’t look as scary. One of the best things about having a rental property in a college town is there typically is not a shortage of renters. Like any investment, you want to be sure that the numbers work out by conducting a proper property analysis.

Here are the Top 10 Metros for College Investing as determined by Forbes:

1. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA
2. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
3. Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA
4. Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL
5. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
6. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA
7. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottdale, AZ
8. New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ
9. Baltimore-Towson, MD
10. Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach, FL

See all 275 Metros Listed

Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.