Buy Investment property after paid off primary

Buy Investment property after paid off primary

New to Real Estate · Hinton, WV · Member since 2023 · 13 posts · 4 votes

Hey,

I have been planning to buy rental property for a long time and it is also my goal to achieve one when I turn 30. But I am still struggling to find relevant strategies.

My current primary house is paid off, its estimated value is around $450k-$500k. I checked HELOC and the most they let me to take out is $228k (probably based on income). I have $50k in saving can use some of it for down payment; $20k aside for closing costs. Fico >800 , no other debts, self employed, income $6-$7k monthly

Plans:

1. I can rent out my house now for $2400/month and use that to support new mortgage if we buy another house $400k-$450k to move in.

2. Using Heloc to buy small property <$300k and spend my owned pocket money to fix it up. Then I will refi to pay back HELOC.

3. And last plan is also the one that I think the most, DSCR with 20%-25% down. I talked to some lenders and they can do with <1 (but of course I need the ratio >1) . By this way, I wont mess with my current house money. And when PPP period is done, I can refi to lower payment.

What would be your advice?

Thanks

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Seth McGatheyBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Milwaukee WI · Member since 2024 · 321 posts · 255 votes
1y

Honestly, right now it sounds like your biggest problem is you have too good of a setup, so you can do almost anything. I think all of your options are fine. You could also consider checking what they would give you for just taking a regular mortgage out on your house instead of a HELOC.

But personally, I lean towards the HELOC. That is a lot of cash you can play with and you get the benefit of time being in your side with a HELOC. Since you pay nothing while it is not being spent, you can sit on it until you find the property you really like.

Other than that, I say start looking for deals and see what deals make the most sense in the area you are thinking of investing, then go from there. 

Best of luck! 

Seth McGathey - Shorewest Realtor4.914 Reviews
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  • Seth McGatheyBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Milwaukee WI · Member since 2024 · 321 posts · 255 votes
    1y

    Honestly, right now it sounds like your biggest problem is you have too good of a setup, so you can do almost anything. I think all of your options are fine. You could also consider checking what they would give you for just taking a regular mortgage out on your house instead of a HELOC.

    But personally, I lean towards the HELOC. That is a lot of cash you can play with and you get the benefit of time being in your side with a HELOC. Since you pay nothing while it is not being spent, you can sit on it until you find the property you really like.

    Other than that, I say start looking for deals and see what deals make the most sense in the area you are thinking of investing, then go from there. 

    Best of luck! 

    Seth McGathey - Shorewest Realtor4.914 Reviews
  • Colby DorrisBusiness Member
    Lender · Memphis, TN · Member since 2021 · 19 posts · 11 votes
    1y

    Hey An! It sounds like you're in a great spot to take the steps to acquire your next property. A lot of investors utilize HELOCs in order to grow their portfolio and its helpful that you have additional assets set aside to strengthen your file. I'd be more than happy to jump on a call to go over the three plans you outlined in more detail and maybe even throw out some additional options you may qualify for. 

    Colby Dorris- Evolve Bank & Trust548 Reviews
  • Arman AhmedPro Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus Cleveland Dayton, OH · Member since 2024 · 2k+ posts · 966 votes
    1y

    @An Nguyen

    Hey An,

    It looks like you've really thought through your options, which is great! Since you're self-employed and have strong credit, using a DSCR loan could be a smart way to get a rental property without tapping into your primary house equity. It keeps your personal finances safer and can give you more flexibility for future deals.

    If you're comfortable with a little rehab work, a smaller property with HELOC funds could work too—but it comes with more hands-on risk and effort. Renting your current home is always a solid backup plan, but it ties up your primary asset.

    Overall, I’d focus on a strategy that balances cash flow, risk, and ease of management, especially since this is your first investment property.

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