Investing in Your 20s and 30s For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 12

Seeking Shelter and Appreciation in Real Estate

IN THIS CHAPTER

Putting a roof over your head and containing your housing costs

Analyzing housing as an investment

Getting started in real estate investing beyond your home

Thinking of a home in which you live as an investment may seem like a poor idea to you. In many parts of the country, home prices suffered in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Although homes may require plenty of financial feeding, over the course of your adult years, owning rather than renting a home can make and save you money. The pile of mortgage debt seems daunting in the years just after your purchase, but someday your home may be among your biggest assets.

Like stocks, real estate does well over the long term but doesn’t go continuously higher. Astute investors take advantage of down periods; they consider these periods to be times to buy at lower prices, just as they do when their favorite retailers are having a sale.

Comparing Owning a Home to Renting

As financial decisions go, deciding whether and when to buy a home is pretty challenging. You have plenty of financial considerations to contend with, as well as personal issues. Psychologically, many ...