@Sharmika M.  Hello Sharmika. I would invest. Find what you are comfortable investing in other than the stock market.  Have you ever thought about investing in real estate?

@Sharmika M. you should invest in a manner that will double your investment in a year. Do that for a few years then you can buy a nice commercial or multifamily property or two and enjoy a nice life while continuing to build equity on a major scale.

Thank you Greg

Yes. That's exactly what I'm intrested in, just scared the market will crash and I'll be left to foot the bill on 2 properties and a HELOC.

@Sharmika M..  Well you do not dive in head first.  You would get educated.  Get a team around you.  Find a mentor/coach.  Find a market to invest in. Do research.  Then after you have put all tour ducks in a row, then you will have the conference to do tour first deal.  Other side of that coin is you can become a passive investor and become the bank and loan tour money out and make double digit return on that money.  Your  choice

If you wait for market to crash you won't have that much equity ;)

I'd cash out now (especially with the recent down tick in rates), but don't be in any hurry to invest it. If something amazing comes on the market by all means jump in, but nothing wrong with sitting on it for a year or two earning 2 percent. I'm doing that myself at the moment as I slowly research some other areas with better cashflow

Hi @Sharmika M.. I agree with Christopher, educate yourself first. Ultimately, you will have more control of your money (investments) in RE than in the market. If you are hesitant to expose all of your funds, start with one property and learn from every step of that transaction. With repetition, you will become more confident. 

 Ok. Thank you! I've started the educating myself part (hence how I found this website) I've read the bible of investing! :) (Rich Dad Poor Dad) I also listen to a lot of different podcast and investors. I know I'm no where near ready but I've started. Just need a mentor. 

Correct! Which is why i asked should I leave it alone or pull it. When you say sit on it, are you speaking on a refi or HELOC? Or something else?

Thanks Steve! How would you suggest i obtain this equity? Refi or HELOC?

@Sharmika M. It depends on your investment strategy. Buy n Hold, FixnFlip? You need to weigh your options. Basically, all you are needing is the funding for the capital needed for the down payment/associated costs and any rehab you want to do if any. Your tenants (if keeping the property as a rental) will be paying for the loan and hopefully your calculations allow you some cash flow at the same time. The BP calculators are a great resource. Do you due diligence on lending programs that offer you the best programs/rates that fit your need. Hope this helps..... 

 This helps a lot thank you, Steve!

@Sharmika M. A cash-out refi, and then sit on the cash waiting for either an amazing deal to come up, or for housing prices to pull back.

A HELOC sounds tempting as you won't have to pay interest until you need the money, but if housing prices do crash the bank will change the amount you can pull out via the HELOC accordingly. (plus you pay a little higher interest on the HELOC)

PS. I'm not saying this is the best thing to do. It depends on what your goals, risk threshold etc. are. If you can swing a 240k refinance and still be cash-flow positive and want to take advantage of expectant housing price pull back this strategy is certainly one to consider

 Sounds good. Thank you, Kevin! 

@Sharmika M. Have you been to any of the REIA meetings LA. I am guessing you are up north somewhwere.

We all are here because we believe RE is a key contributor to ones wealth and financial growth and independence. The more we learn the more comfortable we will be with our investments. Just keep educating yourself on the various ways to either pull from that equity and the various ways you can invest that capital. Good luck!

@Sharmika M. - Since you are posting in the Multifamily / Apartment Investing Forum - I would re-iterate the fact that multifamily real estate is a great investment as it can reduce some risk in regards to a down turn or "crash". I know people who have been calling for a downturn since 2015 that have been sitting on the side lines and they wish they hadn't now that they know the economy is so strong. I've also talked with many older investors who have been through several cycles and they don't see an end in sight unless interest rates rise...which we've already seen the fed pull back hikes for this year with a potential for lowering interest rates even more. Our group recently got a $16.5MM deal with 4.01% interest rate with 5 years I/O. Not bad.

There are investment strategies you can implement that will factor in an economic downturn, like with multi-family. If you invest in apartment buildings and maintain conservative underwriting practices by purchasing for cash-flow, securing long-term financing & allocating adequate cash-reserves, you have positioned yourself well for any recession. In addition you can concentrate on areas that have capitals or universities/large colleges, (government & education can weather economic storms well). In addition you can look for area that have industries that perform no matter the economy, like with the insurance industry.

@Sharmika M. Keep investing it! Real estate buy and holds will provide you with cash flow for the rest of your life! In a down market your equity will diminish until things return, so why not utilize that equity while the market is hot!

 No. Correct, I'm located in the east bay. 

 Thank you @john 

 Yes, I posted on the forum because I'm interested in Multifamily/Apartment Investing. Thank you for your feedback. 

 Very informative. Thank you, David! 

 Very true! Thanks Ryan! 

@Sharmika M. I do not know how long the drive will be for you, but there is a multifamily meeting tomorrow night in Cerritos.