Tldr; Should I sell my home that's significantly larger than I need and move into a smaller home?

My place:

I live in a 4 bedroom, 4 full bathroom (4 showers) Brooklyn townhome, with a finished basement and a nice backyard.

I'm a single male and there's no need for so much space. I rarely to never set foot in two of my bedrooms.

Value-wise, I was able to buy in an area that I saw as "truly" up-and-coming in 2016, before other people saw it as up-and-coming. With some foresight and some luck, that analysis panned out and I could now sell my home for almost 50% more than what I purchased it for. I believe that the rapid price increase is over, my neighborhood is now fully on everyone's radar as "a new cheap place with great coffee shops and close Manhattan access that's being developed" and home prices now properly reflect future expectations.

The situation:

The conventional wisdom (which may be correct here) is -- unless you're making a business out of rentals, homes are for living in and not for investing. The expectation is that after upkeep, taxes, etc. etc. etc., your home value will roughly increase with general inflation.

I'm now sitting on a much larger than I need or use. BUT, I do love it here. I have two dogs, we love our backyard and spacious interior with high ceilings, etc. etc. If I were to downsize to a smaller home more fitting for a single guy, because I'm retired with no income, I'd have to do an all-cash purchase and I'd be limited to about a $600,000 purchase .... definitely doable in NYC, but I'd be limited to condos/coops outside of prime Manhattan, and it wouldn't be as nice of a place as I live in now.

The question:

Speaking strictly from an investment perspective, completely emotionally detached from home ownership, does it make more sense for me to 1. stay put, not pay moving/closing costs, and keep paying a ~$4000 3.00% 30-year fixed mortgage (after taxes/insurance), or 2. to sell and purchase a smaller place with the cash difference, greatly reducing my large monthly interest costs.

A couple other potentially relevant factors:

• I COULD see myself using my two spare rooms as AirBnb income someday. NYC has strict requirements for Airbnbs but as an owner who lives on site, I qualify to be an AirBnb host and have even done it a little bit already (but wasn't a huge fan of it). The main reason I haven't is I have two doggos who are not fans of guests and they make it extremely difficult to be a good host, no one likes 30 lb furballs barking at them when they walk in the door. But if I get them proper training or when they pass (they are 8 and 10....cry emoji) I may get back into the hosting game. Obviously this potential income stream goes away if I sell.
• There aren't THAT many townhouses in Brooklyn. As lots are built out into multi-family housing and driverless technology improves, I suspect full homes with yards and quick access to Manhattan might become rarer and rarer. While I'm virtually certain the high rate of increase I've seen in the property value over the past 10 years is over, at the same time, it does seem like this might be a unique gem of a property to continue to hold onto as well. Especially as the surrounding area becomes completely revitalized in the next approximately 5 to 7 years.

I’m building a new home (FL) that will be my primary residence. It will be done in Dec. It’s $609k and I’ve put $120k down. Factoring in $11k closing costs for a cash purchase, I need $500K to close. My current home (GA) will go on the market Sept 1, listing at $785k, which is below market value. We are hoping for a quick sale, but who knows in this market?! I own this house outright - no mortgage. If my current home doesn’t sell by the time I need to close on the new home, what is my best option to secure short-term funds without touching my 401k? Thanks for any guidance you can provide!!

i work around commercial real estate but have never invested in it personally, mostly because the capital needed is way above where im at.

been in the industry for a few years now i see deals close know roughly how cap rates and NOI work, but thats all theoretical when you dont have six or seven figures sitting around to buy something. im trying to figure out what the realistic entry point looks like for someone who understands the space conceptually but cant buy a building or a rental outright.

what is everyone thinking abt REITs vs fractional platforms vs syndications vs crowdfunding deals. i know they are not all the same thing, some are public and liquid, some are private and locked up for years, some let you pick a specific property and some just hand you a diversified basket. trying to figure out which of these makes sense as a first step, and which ones are more trouble than they're worth for someone starting small.

also open to hearing if people think its even worth bothering with commercial specifically vs just going residential since i already have industry knowledge on the commercial side.

We are looking at a home remodel/addition (~$1.5M) and instead of selling stock are looking to borrow against our stock portfolio (~6M).

- What type of loan is this? Chase said something like SBL (securities backed lending?), but I would need to transfer assets to them (they are at Fidelity and Schwab mainly).

- Any preferences on which brokerage to go with? I like Fidelity, my rep is out on vacation until end of the month...I can possibly wait or find someone else there. Wanted to get the group's thoughts in the interim. Who else would you suggest I shop with? The Chase relationship banker was a bit inexperienced before I landed with the investment rep.

- Is there a chance to negotiate the rates (was quoted 1.95% over SOFR).

- Are any of the interest payments tax deductible? LLMs say "generally no" I don't usually itemize my returns

- the inherent risk here is if the market crashes, i could have a collateral call. my thinking is to keep the loan <30% of portfolio to minimize this risk

I've heard of other products like PAL, SBLOC etc. Not sure I qualify (NW <$10M)

I’ve suddenly found myself in a situation for deploying family real estate capital via a 1031 exchange (family health and bad partnership situation forced this into my hands fast) and a bit lost. I’m trying to figure out the ideal replacement property structure. Timeline, will sign a psa for the relinquished properties next week and try to close on something before end of year

\~$5M in equity, targeting properties $10M+. Trying to sort through these options:

Look for something simple sole ownership nnn/managed?

DST as a partial or full solution? Worth it for a 1031 under time pressure for passive/no-control tradeoff?

Syndication/co-GP, private equity — has anyone participated on one of these and would do it again? Do these always look to exit in 5-10 years and then just find something to reinvest after that?

General: if you were in my shoes thrown into this fast, limited time, not really looking to do all that much work as I have a full time job so if buying something solo will need to find a property manager etc.

Thanks in advance

I need help. My 83 year old grandma and 89 year old grandpa mean so much to me. They’ve fought hard to save me from a hard childhood, and it resulted in them pulling out a reverse mortgage. My grandpa is in his final days here on earth, and my grandma has been left with a bank telling her to sell immediately because there’s nothing left in their mortgage.

I’m only a tattoo apprentice and stay at home mom, and my fiancé makes about 73k a year at his job. We want to save this house so badly but it’s worth 700k in this market. (Was originally bought for 330ish).

Any advice would mean more than you know. My gram is my favorite human.

I am trying to decide where to invest my money and have been considering getting into rental property. I recently came across Section 8 investing and am curious about whether it is actually a good strategy for a first-time landlord.

The idea of having rental income that may be more predictable sounds appealing, but I am also trying to understand the other side of it — inspections, finding tenants, property requirements, paperwork, and everything else involved.

For anyone who has actually invested in Section 8 properties, what has your experience been like? Would you recommend it to someone just starting out?

I own a business where we create visual renderings for commercial property renovations and developments. I have contacts within commercial real estate and several major franchisor brands are currently interested. 11 paying customers currently. Seeking $250,000 in capital. Already have a pitch deck, business plan, and existing customers. Any interest?

Good evening

I came across a property with good amount of cash flow for sale. The property is being sold at 3.2 million. Out of the 83 units, 13 of them are commercial suites. Only 5 residential apartments are vacant and 1 commercial suite is Vacant. Cash flow of 600-1450 per unit coming in every single month. How can I come about purchasing this and use the same cash flow it has to pay for it?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately and honestly can’t decide.
On one hand you’ve got rental properties. On the other, starting some kind of business. Both seem like the classic “build wealth / create cash flow” moves people talk about, but I’m curious what the actual experience is like in the beginning.
Do either of them actually put money in your pocket early on, or do they both just eat cash for a while?
Would love to hear from people who’ve done one (or both):
• How long did it take before you saw real cash flow?
• What surprised you the most?
• If you had to pick which would you choose and why?
Just looking for real experiences and opinions. What’s your take?

Rent orcRent to own.?

I’m hoping to get some direction. I live in a small, working-class town in Northern Michigan on a Great Lake that has recently seen a boom in tourism and retirees.

A city rep showed up at my house to tell me a developer wants my property for a proposed development that totals 71,400 total square feet: a 49,000 sq ft, 3-story hotel with a rooftop bar overlooking the lake, plus 22,400 sq ft of townhouses (12 units, 2 levels each).

he initially made it seem like a courtesy to let me know a big project was starting all sides around me and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it, hotel guests would have direct views into my yard, my privacy fence would not protect me and there would be activity on all sides of me, making the living situation very uncomfortable

I pressed a bit saying...ok? why would they ask you to speak to me then? seems like its happening no matter what and he mentioned they'd be willing to pay to move my home ( its a 98 year old foundation, framed with literal recycled ship lumber from the nearby port in 1926) its not moving, or buy it from me, insinuating this is out of kindness so I wouldn't be annoyed for the rest of my days

I got ahold of the draft of plans and it's clear all of the plans involve the acquisition of my home and demolition thereafter, the story I was told I believe was brief attempt to startle me enough, hope I didn't ask a single question and went and put my house on the market that night. I work in manufacturing/agriculture operations and understood some basic nuances taking place pretty quickly

The Nuances: My property is dead center in the middle of this proposed development.

• The Land: I have a grass city owned lot on one side, a city lot/garage across the alley on the other side, and a large city lot with a recently renovated building on the far side, slated for an event center behind me. All these city lots (which are owned by the DDA) are in the plans for this development. My property takes up the footprint of about 4 of the proposed townhouses and prevents them from eliminating the alleyway, i think?.
• My Stance: I had no prior intention of selling. I would have to be really impressed to even consider relocating, and the relocation would practically have to be facilitated for me with a significantly better situation, considering my current setup is great. I own a fully remodeled 2,600 sq ft, 98-year-old craftsman with a full perimeter privacy fence, a lofted barn, central AC, whole-home air/water filtration, and a large rear deck. I have Great Lake views from a second-floor bedroom and front porch.
• The Financial Reality: I bought this house in 2021 for $172k at a 3.5% interest rate. I estimate the current market value at $250k-$300k. But current rates are around 6.7%. Even if they offered me 120% of the market value, it’s not a 1:1 move. I would lose my lake views, incur moving costs, and trade a 3.5% mortgage for a 6.7% mortgage in an increasingly expensive market. Some comps of similar sized homes near the lake for example were going for 325k a year ago and are between 500-600k now (newer homes with some land on the edges of town)

crunching some numbers I came up with this in terms estimated costs of this project

Commercial construction costs in the Midwest for mid-scale to boutique properties currently range from 250-400 sqft, heavily depending on finishes (like a rooftop bar).

• The Hotel: At 49,000 sq ft, a 3-story hotel with a rooftop restaurant/bar requires heavy structural steel, elevator shafts, and commercial plumbing/HVAC. Estimated cost: $14.5 million to $19.6 million.
• The Townhouses: At 22,400 sq ft, commercial-grade townhouse construction (often requiring firewalls and premium waterfront finishes) will run roughly $200 to $300 per sq ft. Estimated cost: $4.4 million to $6.7 million.
• Site Work & Soft Costs: Permitting, architectural fees, tearing up the alleyway, running new municipal utilities, and landscaping will easily add another 15% to 20% to the budget. Estimated cost: $3 million to $5 million.

Total Estimated Project Cost: $22 Million to $31 Million

My Questions:

1. What kind of power do I actually have here? Can the city force me out to hand my land to a private developer?
2. with my property sitting on city street and two city alleyways, those two alleyways separate the adjacent lots from my land, if I don't sell, what can they do to eliminate these alleys, if anything?
3. How do you even determine "comps" for a situation like this where the city is likely transferring their DDA lots for little to nothing, and I am the only private parcel they need?
4. What kind of attorney should I contact?

Update:

A huge thank you to everyone who commented! I uncovered a piece of the puzzle: the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is the entity pushing the city to talk to me.
To get multi-million dollar state "gap funding" for a project this size, a developer has to prove total "site control"—meaning their plans and property acquisition must be completely locked in before they can even apply. They cannot secure state grant money with a private homeowner sitting dead center in their blueprints.
So far some reason they want me aware of the situation before the developer even reaches out, assuming they want to streamline the funding process and making me get my shit together so there isn’t delays

Trying to figure out my best option. Bought a home January 2025, got orders this summer and left the home. Been looking for a tenant without any luck. If I do get a tenant i’d still be paying ~$800 out of pocket just to pay the mortgage as the rental is lower than my current mortgage payment.

A realtor recommended to me to apply for a VA compromise sale just to get rid of the headache of dealing with my home and payments. However I’m not sure how this will play out when we want to buy a home in the future.

Hi everyone, I am looking for some thoughts/opinons on what is the best move with my current situation. I am a 38 year old general contractor in SW Colorado and am in the process of building my house. As it stands, I have 4.5 acres with a 40x60 metal building with an ADU in the back. I am building a 4200SF custom home. I do not owe anything on the land and building and am getting a loan to build the house. 1.1mil loan, I can build the house for about 600k-700k, and the projected value of property is 1.9mil once completed. We are not sure we want to stay in the area and there is a good chance we will move in a couple years to somewhere with a lower cost of living and closer to our aging parents in the Midwest or Southeast US. With all of this, I am trying to sort out what makes the most sense with this scenario factoring in the following considerations: 1. I have 100k in savings. 2. I am running this through my company and can “lose” some cost on the build that way. 3. We have zero personal debt and about 70k of business debt on equipment which is being paid down by renting it through projects.  I am mainly trying to figure out if it makes more sense to apply my 100k in savings to this project to lower the loan amount or invest it and rely more on the loan for the build. Which is the better overall strategic move? Please let me know if having additional information would be helpful. Thanks!

Edit for some clarification:

1. I live on the property in the ADU mentioned above. 2. I am building the house. 3. My only question is regarding using the use of the 100k.

I currently own 6 properties 4 Single Family 1 Condo and 1 Townhouse.

Right now the whole portfolio is running negative cash flow per month, so I’m trying to figure out how to turn that around and squeeze more value out of what I already have.

I’m open to pretty much any ideas things like installing solar panels on the roofs, looking into alternative uses of the land/properties (I even saw something about helium mining, not sure if that’s realistic), or any other creative ways to increase income or cut expenses.

Basically, what else can I do with a residential portfolio besides just renting the houses out?

Are there ways to maximize cash flow or extract more value that I’m not thinking of?

What’s worked out for you or any suggestions on how to get the most out of these properties?

I am single, make a low six figure salary (which is a pay cut, so I am looking for a higher paying job, hopefully another 20k), have 160k saved up, save b/n 3-4k a month, great credit score, and have student loans. I want several things: a new car (used preferably under 15k), an investment property, a primary home, low monthly expenses.

I plan on moving back to my HCOL home state Jan 2027. The house I really want is 700K, but realistically, I'll try to buy one for 350k-500k. I have always wanted to invest my money and thought of investing in tax liens, buying an investment property or something else.

Here is my dilemma, I only have 160k saved up, so I cannot get everything I want, but I don't know what is the right choice. I feel like I should buy an investment property first, but I am tired of my very old and ugly car. I know having less saved up, will hurt me in terms of buying a house, but I am done with my car. I have heard that having an investment property only counts toward rental income after a year. i don't think I want to wait a whole year to buy my first home. I also don't want to rent in my home state bc it is outrageously overpriced and I can't stomach paying that much per month for a crappy apartment. Will buying an investment property hurt me in getting a personal home? Like will they think I have too much debt and deny me for a loan for a personal home. I want to buy an investment property 150k or under, btw. So should I?

1. Just use my money to buy a personal residence? (I am afraid if I buy an investment property first, I'll either have to wait another year or will be priced out of the house I really want in my home state). I guess I could rent out the basement of my home...

2. buy an investment property and suck it up and wait to finally buy a personal residence.

Is buying a new car a horrible idea? I my insurance now is uner $90, and I know it will increase, maybe triple.