That raises a big strategic question for us:Option 1: Buy a primary residenceStop paying rentLock in a property in SoCalPotential appreciation upsideAccess to primary residence financingPotential tax advantages (including 2-year capital gains exclusion)Option 2: Skip primary, go straight into rentalsDeploy capital into short-term or long-term rentals (likely out of state for better cash flow)Focus immediately on building income-producing assetsMaintain flexibility while rentingOur priority long-term is cash flow and building a scalable portfolio — but we also recognize the potential stability and tax benefits of owning our primary.For those who’ve faced a similar fork in the road:Did buying your primary first help or slow your investing journey?

If you play this patiently, you’ll be way ahead by 25.

Hey everyone,
My name’s Gio and I’m based in the Nashville / Middle Tennessee area. I’m fairly new to the investing side of real estate and recently started getting involved in wholesaling and off-market deals.
Righ...

Decide ahead of time if they can make changes to the property.Legal review is important, and for marketing, be clear in your listing that it is a lease with a future purchase option. 

Appreciate the straight talk!

TJ, congrats on getting to the offer stage, that already puts you ahead of most people who just browse listings and never write.

Appreciate the straight talk!

You can ONLY take depreciation, straight-line or accelerated, on a rental or investment property during the time you rented it.

They should be very straight forward and not opinion based.  

What's the cap rate as a rental vs straight investment property?