Live in before rental?

[Kari Pesch]

Good morning!  My family and I live in Texas but want to live in my home state, Wisconsin, for the summer.  Then, turn the home into a rental once school starts.  Is this a good idea?

[Peter Falk]

I know people who relocated to the DC area and have been renting their Madison, WI home out on an academic year basis (at the UW Madison) and they come back and stay at their  Madison home a few weeks the summer.   Obviously, they lose out on some prospective tenants who want a full year lease, but it seems to work out well for them.