This blog will cover how to build wealth by owning versus renting a home. We will show you how quickly you can become wealthy by owning a home versus renting. If you’ve been an adult long enough to live through several recessions, then you might question the very headline of this content.

The Great Recession, as some call it, was partly driven by the real estate bubble burst. The 2008 financial crisis shook millions’ faith in the advantages of homeownership and real estate investing. Renters do not build wealth for themselves.

Renting an apartment or home helps build wealth for the landlord. Rent payments is an expense. With a mortgage payment, the principal portion of the PITI will go towards the principal buydown which with the reduction of principal and potential appreciation, that is the formula to build wealth.

How To Determine Homeownership is the Best Way to Build Wealth

Whether homeownership is the best way to build wealth depends on various factors, including individual circumstances, market conditions, and long-term financial goals. Here are some considerations.

Historically, real estate has been a reliable long-term investment in many markets, with properties appreciating over time. However, this can vary greatly depending on location and economic conditions.

In some areas, property values may stagnate or even decrease over time.  Owning a home requires a significant upfront investment in a down payment, closing costs, and ongoing maintenance expenses. Renting may provide more flexibility and fewer financial responsibilities, allowing individuals to invest their savings in other assets with potentially higher returns.

Importance of Diversification in Homeownership Building Wealth

Building wealth solely through homeownership may need more diversification. Diversifying investments across various asset classes, such as stocks, bonds, real estate investment trusts (REITs), and retirement accounts, can help mitigate risk and potentially yield higher returns over the long term. Homeownership allows individuals to leverage their investments through mortgage financing. While this can amplify returns if property values appreciate, it also increases risk, especially in a declining market.

Tax Benefits

 Homeownership comes with tax advantages such as mortgage interest and property tax deductions, which can help reduce overall tax liability and potentially increase net worth. Homeownership offers stability and the ability to customize living spaces according to personal preferences. However, it also ties individuals to a specific location, which may limit job opportunities or require additional expenses if relocation becomes necessary.

Due Real Estate Values Go Up During Times of High Inflation?

For years, it felt like things would never be the same again. Yet, there are those who are building massive wealth through real estate and property once more. Keep reading to learn the various reasons and ways in which real estate can build your wealth far more consistently than nearly any other class of assets you could put money into. In this article, we will discuss and cover Build Wealth More Consistently With Real Estate.

Build Wealth More Consistently With Positive Cash Flow Possibilities

Cash flow is the money and funds you have remaining in your hands after you’ve collected rent but paid out all the expenses. Most properties will have expenses, including property taxes, a mortgage, maintenance, insurance, and possibly property management fees. You enjoy a positive cash flow when it pulls in more in monthly rent than it does in expenses to own it.

In many other asset classes, be it stocks and bonds or jewelry, art, and cryptocurrency, investors, buy things hoping they appreciate in their value to be sold for a profit later.

However, that can all be a form of gambling when it’s all said and done. Smart property investors don’t count on appreciating property values, though. They buy properties using good judgment, knowing there’s a reasonable chance that a property can produce more income than it has in expenses. Positive cash flow doesn’t care about market values.

Appreciation Can Matter To Build Wealth

Having said all that about positive cash flows, appreciation is certainly a way to build wealth in real estate. It’s the primary way. Prices fluctuate wildly; everyone’s seen that in the last decade or so, but in the long term, they go up, and there’s no reason in the world to think that’s going to change soon. While homeownership can be a significant component of wealth-building for many individuals, it’s essential to consider it within a broader financial plan. Diversifying investments, maintaining financial flexibility, and aligning homeownership decisions with long-term goals are crucial aspects of wealth accumulation.

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Protect and Build Wealth More Consistently With Depreciation From Real Estate

Even though it sounds like it, depreciation isn’t actually about real estate values dropping. It’s more of a reference to the tax terminology wherein you can write off part of an asset’s value yearly. One frequently asked question is how appreciation creates a cash flow for real estate. Using this technique helps you reduce the tax burdens on any money that you do make, which is yet another way a real estate project can protect your wealth while also growing it at the same time. Rental income is another.

Build Wealth Through Leverage Investing

Real estate is a very easy asset to leverage. If not the very easiest of them all. You can find real estate investment loans and mortgages spread over three decades. Only 20 percent down payments or less are needed. Interest rates are generally higher on investment properties than on single-family primary homes, but you can still get a handsome investment return with higher interest. No asset class or sector offers flexibility and ease of entry.

You Don’t Have To Pay It Off

If you use a mortgage or a loan to buy a piece of real estate, you’re not the one paying it down. You’re responsible for making sure it gets paid down, but you’re doing so with the rental payments you get from your tenants. Early payments will go only to loan interest, but you’ll start hitting the principal in time.

Build Wealth By Paying Your Mortgage Payment

Forced equity simply means you work to make a property worth more than it was. It’s different than appreciation. Real estate investors rely on the market conditions because this is more like you buying a fixer-upper and then improving it. If you can find something below market value and then give it the upgrades it needs, be it flooring, paint, or appliances, then you can create real estate wealth without many risks.

Build Wealth By Making Inflation Your Friend 

Inflation isn’t discussed much in an economy with low-interest rates, but it’s a big reason real estate can create so much wealth over time. Inflation generally means that the value of money goes down each year, so the prices of services and goods go up. While they can print more money, they can’t make more land. Also, many of the expenses of property ownership are fixed, so what you pay for a mortgage now is what you’d pay in twenty or thirty years. Theoretically, inflation would mean that payment is a lot cheaper then.

How Do People Build Wealth During High Inflation?

Now that you’ve read this article, you should see at least a few ways real estate can build wealth consistently and safely over time when done right. It can surpass the returns possible in other asset classes, equities, commodities, or collectibles. This also all holds true for residential and commercial real estate, so look into homeownership for yourself and your family and possibly flipping homes or renting them out to others.

Build Wealth With Appreciation and Cash-Flow

When combined with appreciation, the possibility of positive cash flow can be a powerful force. Still, they can also use depreciation, leverage, inflation, and forced equity rights, especially if you fill a property with enough tenants that you aren’t paying down the loan. If you are attracted to the idea of doing all of this but don’t feel you have enough resources to jump into the fray, look around your community for other like-minded investors. You might be able to pool resources together with a group to go into a project together. Once you get enough proceeds, you can go it alone to make money all by yourself. Also, don’t let the prospect of being a landlord scare you off. You can always find a property management firm to handle tenant selection and communications to evictions, rent collection, and maintenance requests and responsibilities, meaning all you have to do is enjoy watching the money roll in.

This blog on homeownership as the best way to build wealth was updated on March 31st, 2024.