Prudent Buyers Rent Before They Leap

It’s well known that King Solomon advises prudence in all decision making. And that’s especially important in home buying, where an impulse purchase can end up being a costly mistake that tasks time – and more money – to fix. That’s why a growing number of prospective homeowners, especially retirees eager to put down roots in another country or community, are opting to try out a locale by renting first.

More and more Americans are committing to live abroad, especially in retirement. Countries such as Ecuador, Costa Rica and Belize are home to rapidly growing communities of retired expatriates enjoying more bang for their retirement bucks and relief from conditions at home. It may be tempting to fall in love with a location on a visit and leap right in to buy a home there, usually at prices far lower than in the US. But it may be wiser to rent first and get a taste of what it’s like to be a resident – not just a tourist – before committing to a home purchase.

Apartments in many of the favorite expat countries may be inexpensive and more secure. Renting a house lets a resident try out local services like electricity and trash pickup, and what to do in case of an emergency repair. Renting also buys time to learn online casino dgfev about local homeowner issues such as mortgages and property taxes, before committing to a purchase.

The same points apply back home in the US, where retirees are downsizing and taking a look at that house in the country or the small beachfront village that they’ve always dreamed of. Renting in a new community lets a prospective homeowner test drive the area and see whether it’s a good fit, while under less pressure to house-hunt. And just as expatriates abroad may end up opting not to buy property, these renters, too, may choose not to take the plunge into buying a home in a new area after they’ve lived there for awhile.

But whether at home or abroad, all real estate, as Jason Hartman puts it, is local. In other words, it exists in its context of community, locale and country, and prospective buyers become subject to local conditions and requirements wherever they choose to buy a property. Whether a house is down the street, in the next state, or halfway around the globe, it’s still local to the place where it stands.

The reasons for choosing renting over buying in markets both local and global are many. But they add up to an expanding pool of prospective tenants, both long and short term, for smart investors able to recognize those reasons and give these new renters what they’re looking for.  (Top image: Flickr/CatieRjpdes)

Join Jason and his team of investing experts in Austin, TX on September 28, 2013 for the one-day Executive Tour of Austin properties and on the spot investing support.