How to Buy Your First Rental Property

Can I actually afford this?

Know your real number

Step 1

Pre-approval tells you the ceiling. Your budget is the floor.

Pick a zip code, not a dream

Step 2

One market. Deep research. Not ten markets, half-baked.

Waiting for rates to drop

The mistake

Prices rose 1.9% while everyone waited. Source: Case-Shiller Index 2026

Step 3: make the offer

Done beats perfect every time.