Notes on Buying, Selling & Investing

Buying · By Ramon Gutierrez, PREC

Why I Look at Every Home Like an Investor

Most buyers walk into a home and ask “can I see myself living here?” That’s a fair question — but it’s an incomplete one. After twenty years of buying and holding rental property, I can’t turn off the second question: “what does this property actually cost to own, and what does it protect against?”

That doesn’t mean every home has to pencil out like a rental. It means a few habits are worth borrowing from investors, whether you’re buying a starter condo or your forever home:

Price the carrying cost, not just the mortgage. Strata fees, property tax, insurance and maintenance don’t show up on the listing headline, but they show up on your bank statement every month. Know the full number before you fall in love with the place.

Think about resale before you buy, not after. Layout, parking and location drive resale value more than finishes do. Finishes are the easiest thing to change later; a bad floor plan or a bad location isn’t.

Don’t skip the inspection to win a bidding war. Every investor I know has a story about the one time they waived it. It’s rarely a good story.

If you’re weighing a purchase — whether it’s a home to live in or your first rental — I’m happy to run the numbers with you before you write an offer.