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?

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

But I'll be straight with you -- moving countries AND learning to invest at the same time is a lot to juggle.

Listen to the straight up Chicago investor podcast.

Appreciate the straight talk!

Drop your real experiences below, love the straight talk!

Appreciate the straight talk!

That’s helpful insight — I’m starting to notice traditional spreads are tighter here, so I’ve been exploring when creative structures make more sense than straight wholesale. 

A shower head uses 2.0 gallons per minute , The tenant would have 14 minutes of hot water at that rate on a single 29 gallon tank , if they were ONLY running straight hot .

I'd recommend going to some local Chicago meetups and also listen to the straight up Chicago investor podcast!