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BlogArrowReal Estate Investing BasicsArrow3 Reasons Beginners Don’t Invest Out-of-State (& How to Overcome Them!)
Real Estate Investing Basics

3 Reasons Beginners Don’t Invest Out-of-State (& How to Overcome Them!)

Engelo Rumora
Expertise: Real Estate Investing Basics, Personal Development, Landlording & Rental Properties, Real Estate News & Commentary, Business Management, Flipping Houses, Real Estate Deal Analysis & Advice, Personal Finance, Real Estate Marketing
247 Articles Written
beginners-invest-out-of-state

Buying out-of-state property or property in a different country can be very rewarding. Due to the fact that you’re not bound by your current location’s limitations, you have access to property in prime locations elsewhere. Prices could be in your favor, rental demand could be through the roof, or maybe you’re simply able to diversify your portfolio. In some cases, it can be as simple as owning a vacation home you can rent out to people when you’re not there.

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Oftentimes, investors are motivated to buy out-of-state property simply because it’s more affordable. Perhaps you live in an area like New York City, Sydney or even London, where real estate prices are phenomenally high. In these areas, it’s hard enough to afford one property for most people, let alone two.

If you just can’t afford to buy something over there, it really makes sense to look at other locations. Here, property costs could be significantly lower. Initial cost might not be your main concern, though. In that case, investing in property out-of-state can give you a great boost in terms of ROI when you decide to rent the place out. I believe that I have already stressed enough in my previous blogs and posts on BiggerPockets that you should invest based on cash flow and not speculate on capital appreciation.

As lucrative as these investment opportunities are, people still hesitate to take the next step. And there’s a reason for that. Actually, there are a couple. If you are new to the field and you want to invest in out of state property or even property in a different country, you are likely to face a few challenges.

Related: Looking to Invest Out-of-State? Here’s How to Pick and Analyze a City

3 Reasons Beginners Don’t Invest Out-of-State (& How to Overcome Them!)

1. The Knowledge Gap

You don’t know everything, and that’s ok. But when you’re about to invest money, you’re kind of expecting to have at least some information to go by for making your decision. This is one of the most important reasons people hesitate when investing, and it’s even more so the case when you’re talking about investing outside of your state or country.

invest-remotely

Even just thinking about investing in out-of-state property can make you feel really unsure of taking that potential next step. And why wouldn’t you? You’re just not familiar with the place. And when that’s the case, a thousand questions will be racing through your mind. After all, investing in real estate involves pretty large sums of money. You’re not aware of the local economic conditions, or you might not have the same in-depth understanding of that distant property market like you do of your current area. All you have to rely on are gut instincts, online research and word of mouth. There are no guarantees. That’ll make even the best of us uncertain.

But there are many potential opportunities in many different states or countries. So, the first thing to consider while investing is making sure that you establish trust and relationships with key people on the ground who will be your eyes and ears, heart and soul. I will touch on some of the key people needed to make it all work in more depth below. It’s also always a good idea to invest in an area where you might have relatives. It is easier to make decisions on investing in a location that has people you know living there, as they give you honest feedback. Even though this certainly isn’t a prerequisite, knowing someone in the neighborhood can certainly help.

If you want to invest in out-of-state property, you’ll also have to do some additional research with regard to its surroundings. For example, you should try to understand the nature of its economy. Ideally, you would want to invest in a location that is not solely driven by only one type of industry.

For example, a few years back, the housing market in Detroit collapsed all of a sudden. That was because Detroit’s economy was supported mainly by the car manufacturing industry, and once that collapsed, so did Detroit’s housing market.

If you’re looking to rent your property out, you’ll have to research for areas that have good infrastructure, which should provide an influx of rental demand.

2. The Legal Hurdle

Understanding the laws and regulations, like property taxes and rental laws, can form a real barrier, even for people that live there. When you’re not a local, things can seem even more daunting. Identifying all the rules and understanding them can be quite a challenge. That means it’s important to connect with local experts to help you through a potential purchase.

Since you’re most likely looking for a decent return-on-investment, you’re also looking for places that have a good rental rate versus purchase price. But keep in mind that not all the areas have the same tax rates. As a consequence, you should do some thorough research before deciding on a particular location. Property taxes and property management costs can contribute a substantial amount to your total expenses.

At the same time, you have to keep in mind that there’s more to legal issues than taxation. Depending on where you’re investing, you might have some very strict regulations regarding the amount of rent you can ask. In addition, it’s very possible that the local eviction laws are so strict you might have a hard time getting a bad tenant out of your property. You also have all kinds of security laws and health laws to take into consideration.

invest-out-of-state

3. Getting The Right Team

This is your golden ticket.

Your team should consist of many different people, depending on what you’re looking for specifically. All these profiles have one purpose: to help you go from looking to invest in a property to owning and managing one. If you were looking to buy property in an area you know, you’d have no trouble, especially if you’ve invested in property before or have friends that have.

Going outside of your state, however, things become more difficult. There’s no one there to recommend you a potential good fit for your team, not even to tell you where to look. It is absolutely paramount that you work with people you can trust and who understand the area and know its pulse.

A Real Estate Agent

Having someone who actively looks for the best opportunities for you to invest in is key. You're probably not investing full time, and you want to have the best deal possible, so a real estate agent is a good way to go. The difficult task of finding this person is pretty stressful, especially if you don't know the area that well. Keep in mind, though, that you will never get the best of the best like a local investor would. Still, by finding the right real estate agent, you could do very well.

Related: Interview With a Bi-Coastal Investor: Why I Purchased My First Multifamily Property Thousands of Miles Away

A Contractor

After you've found the perfect property to invest in, if you're not buying turnkey, you're probably going to want to make some changes to it. Odds are, you've found a property that's a bit run down or just needs a bit of refreshing. I strongly suggest not buying a property needing major renovations.

If renting out is key, you will require someone to do a quick cosmetic makeover for you and when you're investing in property that is out of your area, you're probably not going to be able to supervise. Make sure you do more due diligence on the contractor himself than the work he can actually do. Too many times have I heard stories of contractors just taking the money and disappearing. Asking for references is going to be extremely important for your success.

Property Managers

Even when you invest in an out-of-state or country property and everything's set and done, you won't be there to look after it. You'll probably require either a property manager or management company to take care of your property. They help you fill vacancies, collect rent and carry on repairs. They would also guard your property against any legal issues you might run into. This is a hard one, as many companies make the most money when they turn over your tenancy, so the reality is, they will never chase hard enough to keep your tenant staying and paying. Once again, trust and referrals will heavily come into play here.

remote-investments

You

Never mind how many people you have on your team. Unless you’re a seasoned investor, odds are, you’re going to be an important part of the entire process. You might be able to depend on your team for the knowledge they bring, but in the end, you’re going to have to manage everything.

What’s more, you should never settle for a property you didn’t get to inspect properly. It’s very possible that it’s not the same as shown over the internet or as described to you by your agent. Take time and plan a visit. Through our turnkey model, I always encourage every single one of our investors to visit us in person and check out what we do. When you’re there, you also have the perfect opportunity to talk to the neighbors and get some feedback on what it is like to live there.

During the life of the investment, you are going to want to have eyes on the property occasionally. You don’t have to be there all the time, but there’s no harm in doing some micro-managing — especially until enough time has gone passed and a decent amount of trust has been established.

Investing in an out-of-state takes more effort than investing nearby. But in the end, if you have the right people to work with, it’s not all that hard to do. There are many advantages of buying a piece of real estate that is located far from you, and there are certain challenges as well. But with thorough research and really leveraging your network, these challenges can be addressed.

And remember: “To lead an orchestra, you must turn your back on the crowd” — Aristotle

Investors: What is your experience with out-of-state investing? Would you consider it? Why or why not?

Leave a comment below, and let’s talk!

By Engelo Rumora
Engelo Rumora, a.k.a."the Real Estate Dingo," quit school at the age of 14 and played professional soccer at the age of 18. From there, he began to invest in real estate. He now owns real estate al...
Read more
Engelo Rumora, a.k.a."the Real Estate Dingo," quit school at the age of 14 and played professional soccer at the age of 18. From there, he began to invest in real estate. He now owns real estate all over the world and has bought, renovated, and sold over 500 properties. He runs runs Ohio Cashflow, a turnkey real estate investment company in the country (Inc 5000 2017 & 2018) and is currently in the process of launching a real estate brokerage called List’n Sell Realty. He is also known for giving houses away to people in need and his crazy videos on YouTube. His mission in life is to be remembered as someone that gave it his all and gave it all away.
Read Less
14 Replies
    Account Closed Investor from Buffalo, New York
    Replied over 5 years ago
    Engelo, Good article and about sums it up. When I started investing I went to FL first. The hardest thing was to find an agent who would work with someone so many states away. I had the property manager already who managed my Aunts property at the beach in FL. I used her to point me in the right direction to contacts and finding good people to work with. It was not easy, let alone going down to see the properties and it eventually led to me forgetting about investing in the FL market. I then moved into the N.C. market, that was a little easier as I got hooked up with another investor/agent. It was a lot smoother then and I could drive down there if I had to as it was only a few hours away from me here in VA. Its a lot more home work investing out of state.
    Engelo Rumora Specialist from Toledo, OH
    Replied over 5 years ago
    Hi Chris, Thanks for your comment. I bet it is. Having the right people around you is definitely a recipe for success. Have a great day.

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    Shannon Briggs from New Orleans, Louisiana
    Replied over 5 years ago
    Great article Engelo! We are looking to buy our first rental property out of state but my husband is a little more skeptical that it’s a good idea, so this is a great article for him to read! All the feed back I’ve been getting has emphasized the relationships, particularly the property management for successful out of state investing. We are looking at turn key properties that sometimes seem too good to be true but if it is true seem to be less risky then having to rehab. Would you agree? Thx!
    Engelo Rumora Specialist from Toledo, OH
    Replied over 5 years ago
    Thanks Shannon, There are many things that can go wrong when looking to rehab from afar. We struggle sometimes even when we are live on the ground and within a 10min drive away lol With that being said, if you spend the time to build relationships with the right people I think you can make it a success. Maybe start of with a few turnkey and then give it a go yourself. Just my opinion 🙂 Thanks and have a great day.
    Bill MacGregor Government from West Roxbury, Massachusetts
    Replied over 5 years ago
    This is great! Thanks for sharing Engelo. I actually just listened to your podcast before seeing this. I am new to REI (and actually this site-first post!). I live in Boston and everything is wicked expensive, but want to get involved in REI. Great to see that you suggest starting with a couple of turnkey properties to get your feet wet as I was thinking it’d be difficult rehabbing from afar. I haven’t decided what market I should look into yet, but what is the best way to meet investors on out of state properties. Through BP?

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    Richard G.
    Replied over 5 years ago
    Great article and I hear you loud and clear but I hear so many investors prefer managing their own property?!? I would rather just try to do it — manage my rental from out of state before I hand it over to a management team

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    Moonhee Kim from Menlo Park, California
    Replied over 4 years ago
    Hi Engelo, At first, thank you so much for sharing the good tips and valuable insights on out-of-state REI. I am a newbie who lives in crazy expensive Bay area CA, close to FaceBook. Some cash saved up, but having really difficult time to start here. I am really struggling whether I should invest here for my first primary residence or much less starting price in other states for much better cash flow. The only place I consider invest on out of state is the small college town, State College in PA (Penn State) I did live 4 years for my ph.D. At least, I am familiar to the areas, wanting to focus heavily on the campus area targeting graduate students. I would appreciate if you can give me any feedback on this. You know, I really want to start my journey locally.

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    Louis Henry Contractor from Toronto Ontario, Canada
    Replied over 2 years ago
    I just came across this article as I am looking to invest in another city. I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and the housing prices are through the roof, which has lead me to research investing in another city. Thanks for the article and I will be getting my first rental property out of town!!!
    Engelo Rumora Specialist from Toledo, OH
    Replied over 2 years ago
    Thanks for your comment Louis, Keep the dream alive

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