US cities with strong job markets are some of the best places to buy a rental property to earn passive income.
Rental properties give you, the investor, the power to determine your profits.
Let's be clear: Buying a home doesn't always give you the biggest return on your money.
From 1890 to 2012 the inflation-adjusted return on a house was 0.17% — a fraction of the 6.27% return for investments in the stock market over the same time period.
But there is a way to earn similar, or even greater, investment returns in real estate: owning a rental property.
In this case, you're getting paid to own something, rather than paying to own it. The mortgage is often covered by rental income, and if you play your cards right you'll profit after covering insurance, taxes, and maintenance costs.
That's different from expecting a big return when it comes time to sell a home you've been living in long-term. Owning a rental property is also different than buying a fixer upper you hope to sell for a profit, which isn't always the cash cow it's chalked up to be.
But like anything in real estate — whether you're buying or renting — it's all about location. HomeUnion, an online residential real estate investment management firm, recently released a list of the top markets for single-family rentals based on how they're expected to perform through 2017.
To compile the ranking, HomeUnion analyzed 30 rental markets to determine which have the best local economies, the highest annual investment returns after operating costs (including insurance, taxes, and maintenance), and the strongest real estate market conditions considering rent increases, rent-to-income ratios, turnover times, and supply of new construction.
Below are the 13 best places to buy a rental property right now. Based on the median investment home price, we've also included the average mortgage payment, assuming a 30-year fixed mortgage with a 20% down payment and a 5% interest rate.
13. Baltimore
Median investment home price: $145,000
Mortgage payment: $623
Median rent: $1,431
Annual return after operating costs: 6.7%
12. Nashville
Median investment home price: $166,300
Mortgage payment: $714
Median rent: $1,437
Annual return after operating costs: 5.4%
11. Chicago
Median investment home price: $235,000
Mortgage payment: $1,009
Median rent: $1,798
Annual return after operating costs: 5.2%
10. Minneapolis
Median investment home price: $172,300
Mortgage payment: $740
Median rent: $1,513
Annual return after operating costs: 5.8%
9. Atlanta
Median investment home price: $131,000
Mortgage payment: $563
Median rent: $1,243
Annual return after operating costs: 6.4%
8. Seattle
Median investment home price: $450,000
Mortgage payment: $1,933
Median rent: $2,218
Annual return after operating costs: 3.3%
7. Detroit
Median investment home price: $167,500
Mortgage payment: $719
Median rent: $1,406
Annual return after operating costs: 5.7%
6. Phoenix
Median investment home price: $180,000
Mortgage payment: $773
Median rent: $1,264
Annual return after operating costs: 4.7%
5. Boston
Median investment home price: $333,800
Mortgage payment: $1,434
Median rent: $2,337
Annual return after operating costs: 4.7%
4. Buffalo
Median investment home price: $105,000
Mortgage payment: $451
Median rent: $1,285
Annual return after operating costs: 8.5%
3. New York City
Median investment home price: $431,100
Mortgage payment: $1,851
Median rent: $2,148
Annual return after operating costs: 3.9%
2. Miami
Median investment home price: $209,900
Mortgage payment: $901
Median rent: $1,980
Annual return after operating costs: 6.3%
1. Dallas
Median investment home price: $199,300
Mortgage payment: $856
Median rent: $1,630
Annual return after operating costs: 5.6%
US cities with strong job markets are some of the best places to buy a rental property to earn passive income. Read Full Story
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