{"id":78736,"date":"2021-05-25T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-25T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/renewsblog\/?p=78736"},"modified":"2023-05-11T10:42:11","modified_gmt":"2023-05-11T16:42:11","slug":"home-buying-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/home-buying-mistakes","title":{"rendered":"7 Home Buying Mistakes to Avoid While House-Shopping"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n      <iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm?e=BIGPOC4343290682&#038;light=false\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe>  \n\n\n\n\n<p>Have you ever noticed that when friends, family, or acquaintances buy their first homes, everyone tends to congratulate them? They\u2019ve worked hard with a real estate agent and now hopefully have the property of their dreams? Do they brag about the deal they got and the great features of their new neighborhood?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s great that these buyers are so happy to begin homeownership. However, the purchaser could be setting themselves up for an unnecessary painful financial future in exchange for short-term enjoyment of real estate. Does this person truly understand the incredible, long-lasting financial consequences of their decision? Have they even considered how devastating their choice may be in future years? Despite popular belief, buying your first home could be a huge mistake financially.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When buying a home for the first time, it\u2019s understandable to make mistakes. You\u2019re going into a new venture with bright eyes for the future and seem to be ready for anything that comes your way. However, some things that come your way can be avoided if you take the time to truly assess what kind of home you\u2019re capable of owning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rushing into or insisting on buying properties you can\u2019t really afford are just two ways that first-time home buyers put their future selves and finances at risk. Here are some common home buying mistakes to avoid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"hero-block_62df1a82bfc88\" class=\"first:mt-0 hero-block py-4    has-background has-slate-200-background-color has-text-color has-theme-gold-color\">\n    <div\n        class=\"gap-10 lg:gap-20 flex flex-wrap lg:flex-nowrap max-w-screen-xl mx-auto px-4 relative lg:items-center \">\n\n        <div class=\"relative z-30 lg:w-2\/3 \">\n            <main class=\"py-4\">\n                \n\n<p class=\"has-slate-800-color has-text-color has-large-font-size\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:800\">Buy your first house with your eyes wide open<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"my-3 md:my-5 lg:my-8 has-slate-900-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:16px\">Outsmart the world\u2019s most common financial trap! From BiggerPockets CEO Scott Trench and podcast co-host Mindy Jensen, learn how your home purchase can destroy your wealth\u2026 or generate even more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=button-custom-event-block_64134fe56b103 class='button-custom-event'>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/store.biggerpockets.com\/products\/first-time-home-buyer?utm_source=blog&#038;utm_medium=marketing_block\" x-on:click=\"window.analytics.track(&#039;Blog Block | Publishing: FTHB&#039;, {\n      referrer: &#039;https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/home-buying-mistakes&#039;,\n    });\" class=\" btn-shape inline-block no-underline has-background has-theme-gold-background-color has-text-color has-white-color\" target=\"_blank\">Get Your Copy<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n\n            <\/main>\n        <\/div>\n\n                <div class=\"lg:w-1\/3 first:mt-0 relative h-full lg:flex lg:items-center\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"object-cover w-full relative z-20 my-0  rounded-md hidden lg:block\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/first-time-home-buyer.jpeg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\n        <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Having high debt<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Having a lot of debt\u2014especially in comparison to your income\u2014will make it that much harder to get a loan or a good rate on your mortgage. Getting a loan may help you in the short term, but your finances will continue to struggle long term. High debts can also hurt your credit score, which will make it that much harder to buy a home in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before starting the home search, calculate your debt-to-income ratio. Most lenders will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumerfinance.gov\/ask-cfpb\/what-is-a-debt-to-income-ratio-why-is-the-43-debt-to-income-ratio-important-en-1791\/\" class=\"rank-math-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">restrict borrowers to a 43% ratio<\/a>. Got more debt than that? You&#8217;ll need to pay it down first. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Buying a property you can&#8217;t afford<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When buying a home, buying less than what you can afford is actually the right way to go. There may be tons of expenses you haven\u2019t accounted for. You also probably don&#8217;t need all that space you thought you did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Prioritizing style over structure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Think about why the style is so important to you. Are you trying to impress someone or prove something to yourself? Style is important for someone to feel comfortable in their own home, but the structure is much more important. A style can be created after the home is bought, but structure is much more complicated to work on after the fact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Diving into the home search too soon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking at homes is so much fun, but it shouldn\u2019t take precedence over saving. Depending on where you live, the costs of owning a home with closing costs, down payments, and taxes can be really expensive. And saving for the home and putting a good amount of money down can help avoid higher interest rates in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Forgetting to account for closing costs and other expenses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on location, closing costs and other expenses could be a lot more money than you were expecting to pay. Owning a home is so much more than a down payment. There are property taxes, HOA fees, homeowners insurance, repair costs, and more. Consider all of the fees and costs for the area you\u2019re looking to buy a home in before you settle on anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Skipping mortgage pre-approval<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Even though you don\u2019t necessarily need mortgage pre-approval, it is a good thing to have. It can help put sellers at ease if your credit isn\u2019t so great, you\u2019re trying to move to a popular area, or you don\u2019t know how much you can afford. In these circumstances, a pre-approval is like a check mark next to your name to show a seller that you\u2019re safer to work with than other buyers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Not shopping for mortgages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Not every mortgage is the same. Shopping around will help you find the best deal for you and your housing needs. Think of it like buying a car where everything can be negotiable and you have to work in your best interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Five common first-home strategies\u2014and their downsides<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Some homeowners don\u2019t hold back. They want the biggest, fanciest luxury property one can possibly afford in the best possible school district or coolest part of town. There\u2019s nothing wrong with having goals and dreams. But in reality, this is a big home buying mistake that can significantly stretch out your financial limits and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/home-buying-timeline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">timeline for buying a house<\/a> more than necessary. There\u2019s already a tough, long road ahead when buying any home. Why make it more difficult than it needs to be? Take a look at the examples below to see what we mean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Buying the most expensive property you can afford<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Sally was an employed 27-year-old making about $80,000 a year. She used her life savings of $25,000 toward the down payment on a $425,000 luxury condo in the city. Sally thought this was a good investment because condos in that part of town are the most in demand, which would only increase the value of her property.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Three years in, Sally finds that prices have only risen modestly and that she can no longer afford to keep up the lifestyle she had as a renter. Rising HOA fees and expensive mortgage payments have forced her to sacrifice in other areas of her life. Meanwhile, another new condo complex was built recently with far more in-demand condos than hers. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, this is the quickest way into the middle-class American dream graveyard. This type of first-time home purchase is often accompanied by financial choices, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Putting ALL of one\u2019s savings outside of retirement into the home<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Borrowing for the down payment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Using over a third of one\u2019s after-tax take-home pay to cover the mortgage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, the only benefit Sally is getting is the ability to say that she lives in a really cool area. When people buy property outside of their price range, they sacrifice almost everything else. Here are some of the consequences of that kind of choice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Your career: <\/strong>You lose almost all flexibility in career decisions when you stretch yourself to buy property. You have only two choices\u2014stay at your current job or a similar one that pays about the same in your current city or hope for a massive raise and huge signing bonus to help you out if you want to move elsewhere.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The stability of your financial position: <\/strong>Because you stretched yourself to your financial limit to qualify for that loan, you are basically living paycheck to paycheck. This could cause you to put essential purchases on credit cards, causing more instability. And when you own a home, it\u2019s a matter of <em>when<\/em> not <em>if<\/em> you will be hit with unexpected and irregular maintenance expenses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Entertainment expenses: <\/strong>Just like Sally found out the hard way, you may find that you have to cut out other lifestyle choices, like eating out, vacations, new cars, etc. What\u2019s the point of living in a nice area if you can\u2019t do anything in it?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Relaxation time: <\/strong>Your relaxation time is limited partly because of the financial reasons listed above, and partially due to the fact that you have to spend more time maintaining your home than you did previously as a renter. You surely can\u2019t afford to outsource that maintenance in this position.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember that just because you are buying a \u201creasonable\u201d property that is not in the ludicrously expensive part of town, it does not mean that the property is \u201creasonable\u201d for <em>you. <\/em>This type of transaction is arguably one of the most foolish financial decisions made by people today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Playing it too safe<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Abby and Jared moved to a home of their own to start a family. With a combined earning $120,000 per year, they had $50,000 saved up. Their lender said they could qualify for something in the $700,000 range, but they decided on something more reasonable in the $400,000 range. If anything was wrong with the schools or area, they could just move before the unborn children got to school age. But years later, they have triplets and the house is just too small for their needs. When they sell the home, they just about break even.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you buy a reasonable property that you can easily afford, you aren\u2019t doing it wrong, but you won\u2019t necessarily turn your home into an \u201cinvestment.\u201d Your home will allow you to do the things you love to do, and you\u2019ll come out a little bit ahead of renting an equivalent unit if you stay there a few years on average. But remember that \u201cwithin reason\u201d is relative. You still have to determine if you can <em>easily <\/em>afford the payments on a property\u2014and have plenty of cash on hand to handle problems as they come up. Life is unpredictable and you\u2019ll be glad you put money aside to deal with the unexpected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Having lots of exit strategies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Angie had always been careful with her money. She drove a modest car and worked hard to earn a $60,000 salary. She decided to make a change and buy a house to lower her monthly payments. She researched for months and waited for the perfect deal on a property, only looking at ones that met her strict criteria. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Two years later, Angie gets a promotion at work that means she has to move to Europe for two years. She rents her home in the meantime and by the time she\u2019s back in the US, she\u2019s made a modest income from her home that\u2019s even more valuable now that property values in the area have risen. She is stuck with three excellent choices\u2014to move back into the property herself, continue collecting rent, or to sell and cash out on substantial equity.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this case, the prospective purchasers understand that the home-buying process is a massive financial decision\u2014likely the largest of their lives thus far. Therefore, they have decided to put in time and research commensurate with the significance of the purchase. They are also thinking <em>what\u2019s next?<\/em> as a part of their decision-making process. It\u2019s important to realize that just because you buy a home, you do <em>not<\/em> have to commit to that particular location for life. It is quite wise to be flexible, as your life\u2019s direction can change quite dramatically in a few years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The problem with Angie&#8217;s way of thinking is that you only really make money on your investment if the values of properties in the area that you\u2019ve selected go up. This is often something that is outside of your control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Flipping multiple homes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Ashley and her husband, Jacob, have good jobs so every few years they purchase a rundown home to flip and make a profit. Afterward, they sell the homes and pocket the largely tax-free gains, which give them a nest egg of $500,000 in after-tax gains that secures their futures financially. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This type of strategy is often called a \u201clive-in flip.\u201d A downside is that in order to be successful the home buyer will either have to fix the property up themselves or manage contractors to do so while living there. And it\u2019s important to make sure that the homes being flipped are within a reasonable price range of repair in order to be worthwhile investments while keeping in mind the fees and homeowner\u2019s insurance policies of each property. Another downside is if you don\u2019t know the area you\u2019re buying houses in well enough you may need to pay a real estate agent to help you out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The advantage, of course, is that the home buyer is no longer dependent on the value of properties in the local area going up to make their profit. If they understand what the property will be worth after all the repairs are made, the buyer can at reasonably low risk go into the property with a profitable exit down the line. The home buyer also can take as little or as much time as they desire to fix the property up. This is as long as the property is habitable upon the purchase, and they can live in reasonable comfort during the improvement phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, when live-in flippers go to sell their properties, they can often exclude most of the capital gains on their primary residence from taxation\u2014a nifty loophole that makes this strategy extremely advantageous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. House hacking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Garrett is a young, single 20-something who has determined it\u2019s in his best interest to stop paying rent and find an affordable duplex to fix up and rent out. He gets a fair deal, moves in, and begins to renovate it. A few months later, he rents out the property to some hand-picked tenants and uses their rent to cover his mortgage. This allows Garrett to live rent-free and build equity at the same time. Having repeated this strategy two more times over the last few years, Garrett has now moved and is living in a luxury condo financed from his rental properties and continues to make passive income. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHouse hacking\u201d is the ultimate financial decision for most first-time buyers. This entails buying a piece of investment real estate with the intention of living in it while renting out other units to cover the mortgage payments. This enables the owner to live for free or for much less than other local homeowners or renters. And it can be combined with the live-in-flip strategy discussed earlier. It\u2019s quite feasible to buy an investment property that needs some work and fix it up, increasing both the value of the property and the rent that it can command. This leaves the purchaser in an advantageous situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One downside to this is that buying a duplex comes with more upfront costs than a single-family home in at least some areas. And that would mean it\u2019s even more important to improve your credit score by lowering your debts and saving money. If you need help, getting a mortgage pre-approval or even private mortgage insurance can qualify you for a loan you might not otherwise be able to get. However, this does mean the cost of your loan increases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n  <div id=\"posts_lists-block_6091a4c9482bc\" class=\"  my-10\">\n    <div class=\"\">\n      <!-- Column One -->\n      <div>\n                  <h2 class=\"mt-0 mb-1 js-toc-ignore\">\n            Learn more about buying &#038; selling houses          <\/h2>  \n                  \n                  <div class=\"mt-1 mb-0 text-sm mb-2 excerpt\">\n            <span data-sheets-value=\"{\" data-sheets-userformat=\"{\">Learn how to buy and sell investment properties.<\/span>          <\/div>\n        \n                  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/category\/buying-selling\" class=\"no-underline text-themeBlue-medium hover:underline uppercase font-semibold text-sm\" target=\"_blank\">Buying &amp; Selling<\/a>\n        \n        <div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-y-4 lg:gap-y-7 mt-5\">\n          \n<article \n\tid=\"post-186977\" \n\tclass=\"content-card mb-0 flex flex-col  post-186977 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-buying-selling\">\n\n\t<header class=\"entry-header\">\t\t\t\n\t\t<!-- Image -->\n        \t\t\t<a class=\"post-thumbnail\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/how-to-make-a-cash-offer-without-cash\" target=\"_blank\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"340\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/cash-transactions-340x225.jpg\" class=\"size-card w-full  m-0 aspect-[68\/45] object-scale-down wp-post-image\" alt=\"How to Make a Cash Offer Without Cash\" title=\"\">\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t        \n\n\t\t<!-- Content Wrapper -->\n\t\t<div class=\"py-4 \">\t\n                            <div class=\"flex gap-4 justify-between items-center\">\n                    <!-- Category  -->\n                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/category\/buying-selling\" class=\"transition-colors bg-themeBlue\/20 text-themeBlue-medium hover:bg-themeBlue hover:text-white px-2 py-1 mb-2 inline-block rounded-sm no-underline text-sm\" target=\"_blank\">Buying &amp; Selling<\/a>\n                    \n                                            <span class=\"text-sm text-gray-500 hidden lg:inline-block\">5 min read<\/span>\n                                    <\/div>\n            \n           <div class=\"flex gap-3 items-center my-2 flex-nowrap text-base\">\n                <!-- Avatar and Author Name -->\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/cropped-Tony02-1-scaled-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"w-8 h-8 object-cover my-0 inline-block rounded-full\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><span class='leading-snug text-slate-500 flex items-center'><span class='hidden whitespace-nowrap sm:inline-block md:hidden lg:inline-block pr-1'><span class='posted-on'><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-02-26T11:23:35-07:00\">Feb 26, 2026<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2026-02-26T11:23:38-07:00\">Feb 26, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/contributors\/tonyrobinson\" class=\"no-underline line-clamp-1\" target=\"_blank\">Tony Robinson<\/a><\/span>            <\/div>\n\n            <!-- Post title -->\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"entry-title js-toc-ignore mt-4 mb-0 text-xl leading-snug text-left\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/how-to-make-a-cash-offer-without-cash\" rel=\"bookmark\" class=\"whitespace-normal no-underline font-bold  text-slate visited:text-slate hover:text-themeBlue\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\tHow to Make a Cash Offer Without Cash\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n                        <p class=\"text-lg font-normal mt-3 text-slate-500 mb-1 line-clamp-3\">This article is presented by Dominion Financial. Here&#8217;s something most real estate investors figure out the hard way: The best deals don&#8217;t go to the highest bidder. They go to&hellip;<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n     <footer class=\"flex justify-between mt-auto\">\n        <!-- Comment Count -->\n        \t\t<span class='flex items-center space-x-2 text-sm' x-cloak x-data='commentCount()' :class=\"parseFloat(commentCount) < 1 || commentCount == '' ? 'hidden' : 'flex'\">\n\t\t\n            <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"h-5 w-5 text-slate text-opacity-50\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" stroke=\"currentColor\">\n                <path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M17 8h2a2 2 0 012 2v6a2 2 0 01-2 2h-2v4l-4-4H9a1.994 1.994 0 01-1.414-.586m0 0L11 14h4a2 2 0 002-2V6a2 2 0 00-2-2H5a2 2 0 00-2 2v6a2 2 0 002 2h2v4l.586-.586z\" \/>\n            <\/svg>\n\n            <span x-ref=\"comment_count\" class=\"disqus-comment-count text-slate text-opacity-80\" data-disqus-identifier=\"186977\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n        <\/span>\n\t    <\/footer>\n<\/article><!-- #post-186977 -->\n<article \n\tid=\"post-145476\" \n\tclass=\"content-card mb-0 flex flex-col  post-145476 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-biggerpockets-daily category-buying-selling\">\n\n\t<header class=\"entry-header\">\t\t\t\n\t\t<!-- Image -->\n        \t\t\t<a class=\"post-thumbnail\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/rent-to-own-homes\" target=\"_blank\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"340\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/rent-to-own-1-340x225.jpg\" class=\"size-card w-full  m-0 aspect-[68\/45] object-scale-down wp-post-image\" alt=\"How Does Rent to Own Work?\" title=\"\">\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t        \n\n\t\t<!-- Content Wrapper -->\n\t\t<div class=\"py-4 \">\t\n                            <div class=\"flex gap-4 justify-between items-center\">\n                    <!-- Category  -->\n                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/category\/biggerpockets-daily\" class=\"transition-colors bg-themeBlue\/20 text-themeBlue-medium hover:bg-themeBlue hover:text-white px-2 py-1 mb-2 inline-block rounded-sm no-underline text-sm\" target=\"_blank\">BiggerPockets Daily<\/a>\n                    \n                                            <span class=\"text-sm text-gray-500 hidden lg:inline-block\">8 min read<\/span>\n                                    <\/div>\n            \n           <div class=\"flex gap-3 items-center my-2 flex-nowrap text-base\">\n                <!-- Avatar and Author Name -->\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/cropped-janephoto-150x150.jpg\" class=\"w-8 h-8 object-cover my-0 inline-block rounded-full\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><span class='leading-snug text-slate-500 flex items-center'><span class='hidden whitespace-nowrap sm:inline-block md:hidden lg:inline-block pr-1'><span class='posted-on'><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2022-11-04T11:11:00-06:00\">Nov 04, 2022<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2023-12-22T13:23:27-07:00\">Dec 22, 2023<\/time><\/span><\/span>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/contributors\/jane-meggitt\" class=\"no-underline line-clamp-1\" target=\"_blank\">Jane Meggitt<\/a><\/span>            <\/div>\n\n            <!-- Post title -->\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"entry-title js-toc-ignore mt-4 mb-0 text-xl leading-snug text-left\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/rent-to-own-homes\" rel=\"bookmark\" class=\"whitespace-normal no-underline font-bold  text-slate visited:text-slate hover:text-themeBlue\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\tHow Does Rent to Own Work?\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n                        <p class=\"text-lg font-normal mt-3 text-slate-500 mb-1 line-clamp-3\">Rent-to-own homes is a way for you to buy a home while renting it for a certain period of time. We&#8217;ll explain what it is and how it works for&hellip;<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n     <footer class=\"flex justify-between mt-auto\">\n        <!-- Comment Count -->\n        \t\t<span class='flex items-center space-x-2 text-sm' x-cloak x-data='commentCount()' :class=\"parseFloat(commentCount) < 1 || commentCount == '' ? 'hidden' : 'flex'\">\n\t\t\n            <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"h-5 w-5 text-slate text-opacity-50\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" stroke=\"currentColor\">\n                <path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M17 8h2a2 2 0 012 2v6a2 2 0 01-2 2h-2v4l-4-4H9a1.994 1.994 0 01-1.414-.586m0 0L11 14h4a2 2 0 002-2V6a2 2 0 00-2-2H5a2 2 0 00-2 2v6a2 2 0 002 2h2v4l.586-.586z\" \/>\n            <\/svg>\n\n            <span x-ref=\"comment_count\" class=\"disqus-comment-count text-slate text-opacity-80\" data-disqus-identifier=\"145476\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n        <\/span>\n\t    <\/footer>\n<\/article><!-- #post-145476 -->\n<article \n\tid=\"post-140459\" \n\tclass=\"content-card mb-0 flex flex-col  post-140459 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-buying-selling category-mobile-homes\">\n\n\t<header class=\"entry-header\">\t\t\t\n\t\t<!-- Image -->\n        \t\t\t<a class=\"post-thumbnail\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/institutional-investors-flocking-to-mobile-home-parks\" target=\"_blank\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"332\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Institutional-Investors-Mobile-Homes-560x380.jpg\" class=\"size-card w-full  m-0 aspect-[68\/45] object-scale-down wp-post-image\" alt=\"Why Are Institutional Investors Flocking to Mobile Home Parks?\" title=\"\">\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t        \n\n\t\t<!-- Content Wrapper -->\n\t\t<div class=\"py-4 \">\t\n                            <div class=\"flex gap-4 justify-between items-center\">\n                    <!-- Category  -->\n                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/category\/buying-selling\" class=\"transition-colors bg-themeBlue\/20 text-themeBlue-medium hover:bg-themeBlue hover:text-white px-2 py-1 mb-2 inline-block rounded-sm no-underline text-sm\" target=\"_blank\">Buying &amp; Selling<\/a>\n                    \n                                            <span class=\"text-sm text-gray-500 hidden lg:inline-block\">4 min read<\/span>\n                                    <\/div>\n            \n           <div class=\"flex gap-3 items-center my-2 flex-nowrap text-base\">\n                <!-- Avatar and Author Name -->\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bp-wp-migration.s3.amazonaws.com\/author_avatars\/214608.jpg\" class=\"w-8 h-8 object-cover my-0 inline-block rounded-full\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><span class='leading-snug text-slate-500 flex items-center'><span class='hidden whitespace-nowrap sm:inline-block md:hidden lg:inline-block pr-1'><span class='posted-on'><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2021-10-27T08:04:34-06:00\">Oct 27, 2021<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2024-01-29T15:16:15-07:00\">Jan 29, 2024<\/time><\/span><\/span>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/contributors\/paulmoore\" class=\"no-underline line-clamp-1\" target=\"_blank\">Paul Moore<svg class=\"h-5 inline ml-2\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 21\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><g clip-path=\"url(#a)\"><path d=\"M19.253 5.25a1.75 1.75 0 0 0-1.663 2.29l-1.42.902a2.188 2.188 0 0 1-2.868-.46L11.91 6.28a1.73 1.73 0 0 0 .342-1.03 1.75 1.75 0 1 0-3.5 0c0 .37.12.732.34 1.03L7.701 7.982a2.188 2.188 0 0 1-2.868.46l-1.42-.903a1.75 1.75 0 1 0-1.816 1.203l1.035 6.205a.438.438 0 0 0 .43.366H17.94a.437.437 0 0 0 .431-.366l1.035-6.204a1.75 1.75 0 0 0-.153-3.494Z\" fill=\"#FFC107\"\/><path d=\"M10.502 17.064c4.108 0 7.438-.98 7.438-2.188 0-1.208-3.33-2.188-7.438-2.188-4.109 0-7.439.98-7.439 2.188 0 1.208 3.33 2.188 7.439 2.188Z\" fill=\"#FFA000\"\/><path d=\"M10.502 17.501c-3.915 0-7.877-.901-7.877-2.625s3.962-2.625 7.877-2.625c3.914 0 7.876.9 7.876 2.625 0 1.724-3.962 2.625-7.876 2.625Zm0-4.375c-4.597 0-7.001 1.137-7.001 1.75s2.404 1.75 7 1.75c4.597 0 7.002-1.138 7.002-1.75 0-.613-2.405-1.75-7.001-1.75Z\" fill=\"#FFD54F\"\/><\/g><defs><clipPath id=\"a\"><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M0 0h21v21H0z\"\/><\/clipPath><\/defs><\/svg><\/a><\/span>            <\/div>\n\n            <!-- Post title -->\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"entry-title js-toc-ignore mt-4 mb-0 text-xl leading-snug text-left\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/institutional-investors-flocking-to-mobile-home-parks\" rel=\"bookmark\" class=\"whitespace-normal no-underline font-bold  text-slate visited:text-slate hover:text-themeBlue\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\tWhy Are Institutional Investors Flocking to Mobile Home Parks?\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n                        <p class=\"text-lg font-normal mt-3 text-slate-500 mb-1 line-clamp-3\">The data is in about why institutional investors have been purchasing mobile home parks. And it\u2019s quite surprising. Sam Zell, one of America\u2019s most successful real estate investors, was right.&hellip;<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n     <footer class=\"flex justify-between mt-auto\">\n        <!-- Comment Count -->\n        \t\t<span class='flex items-center space-x-2 text-sm' x-cloak x-data='commentCount()' :class=\"parseFloat(commentCount) < 1 || commentCount == '' ? 'hidden' : 'flex'\">\n\t\t\n            <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"h-5 w-5 text-slate text-opacity-50\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" stroke=\"currentColor\">\n                <path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M17 8h2a2 2 0 012 2v6a2 2 0 01-2 2h-2v4l-4-4H9a1.994 1.994 0 01-1.414-.586m0 0L11 14h4a2 2 0 002-2V6a2 2 0 00-2-2H5a2 2 0 00-2 2v6a2 2 0 002 2h2v4l.586-.586z\" \/>\n            <\/svg>\n\n            <span x-ref=\"comment_count\" class=\"disqus-comment-count text-slate text-opacity-80\" data-disqus-identifier=\"140459\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n        <\/span>\n\t    <\/footer>\n<\/article><!-- #post-140459 -->\n<article \n\tid=\"post-140427\" \n\tclass=\"content-card mb-0 flex flex-col  post-140427 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-biggerpockets-daily category-buying-selling\">\n\n\t<header class=\"entry-header\">\t\t\t\n\t\t<!-- Image -->\n        \t\t\t<a class=\"post-thumbnail\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/short-term-rental-market-watch\" target=\"_blank\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"332\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Short-term-rental-market-watch-560x380.jpg\" class=\"size-card w-full  m-0 aspect-[68\/45] object-scale-down wp-post-image\" alt=\"It\u2019s Not Too Late to Join the Short-Term Rental Investing Game\" title=\"\">\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t        \n\n\t\t<!-- Content Wrapper -->\n\t\t<div class=\"py-4 \">\t\n                            <div class=\"flex gap-4 justify-between items-center\">\n                    <!-- Category  -->\n                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/category\/biggerpockets-daily\" class=\"transition-colors bg-themeBlue\/20 text-themeBlue-medium hover:bg-themeBlue hover:text-white px-2 py-1 mb-2 inline-block rounded-sm no-underline text-sm\" target=\"_blank\">BiggerPockets Daily<\/a>\n                    \n                                            <span class=\"text-sm text-gray-500 hidden lg:inline-block\">4 min read<\/span>\n                                    <\/div>\n            \n           <div class=\"flex gap-3 items-center my-2 flex-nowrap text-base\">\n                <!-- Avatar and Author Name -->\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bp-wp-migration.s3.amazonaws.com\/author_avatars\/108611.jpg\" class=\"w-8 h-8 object-cover my-0 inline-block rounded-full\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><span class='leading-snug text-slate-500 flex items-center'><span class='hidden whitespace-nowrap sm:inline-block md:hidden lg:inline-block pr-1'><span class='posted-on'><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2021-10-25T08:28:00-06:00\">Oct 25, 2021<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2024-01-29T15:18:26-07:00\">Jan 29, 2024<\/time><\/span><\/span>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/contributors\/davemeyer-2\" class=\"no-underline line-clamp-1\" target=\"_blank\">Dave Meyer<\/a><\/span>            <\/div>\n\n            <!-- Post title -->\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"entry-title js-toc-ignore mt-4 mb-0 text-xl leading-snug text-left\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/short-term-rental-market-watch\" rel=\"bookmark\" class=\"whitespace-normal no-underline font-bold  text-slate visited:text-slate hover:text-themeBlue\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s Not Too Late to Join the Short-Term Rental Investing Game\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n                        <p class=\"text-lg font-normal mt-3 text-slate-500 mb-1 line-clamp-3\">It\u2019s never been a better time to be a short-term rental investor. Short-term rental investing, otherwise known as Airbnb or VRBO hosting, has been one of the hottest strategies for&hellip;<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n     <footer class=\"flex justify-between mt-auto\">\n        <!-- Comment Count -->\n        \t\t<span class='flex items-center space-x-2 text-sm' x-cloak x-data='commentCount()' :class=\"parseFloat(commentCount) < 1 || commentCount == '' ? 'hidden' : 'flex'\">\n\t\t\n            <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"h-5 w-5 text-slate text-opacity-50\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" stroke=\"currentColor\">\n                <path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M17 8h2a2 2 0 012 2v6a2 2 0 01-2 2h-2v4l-4-4H9a1.994 1.994 0 01-1.414-.586m0 0L11 14h4a2 2 0 002-2V6a2 2 0 00-2-2H5a2 2 0 00-2 2v6a2 2 0 002 2h2v4l.586-.586z\" \/>\n            <\/svg>\n\n            <span x-ref=\"comment_count\" class=\"disqus-comment-count text-slate text-opacity-80\" data-disqus-identifier=\"140427\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n        <\/span>\n\t    <\/footer>\n<\/article><!-- #post-140427 -->        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n  ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When buying a home for the first time, it\u2019s understandable to make mistakes. However, some things can be avoided if you take the time to truly assess what kind of home you\u2019re capable of owning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1676,"featured_media":138127,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7119,6804],"tags":[7205,7203,7222,7228],"class_list":["post-78736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-biggerpockets-daily","category-buying-selling","tag-basics","tag-buying-selling","tag-buying-selling-houses","tag-real-estate-comm"],"acf":[],"comment_count":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1676"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78736"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78736\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}