"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now." – Chinese proverb

It's understandable if you're feeling hesitant about real estate investing right now. Maybe you've been watching the headlines about "cooling markets" and "stubborn interest rates," or perhaps you're remembering the head-spinning price swings of the pandemic and thinking, "I'll wait until things settle down."

Of the 19.3 million rental properties in the United States, 85.6% are single-family rentals. By and large (70.2%), these properties are owned by individual investors. In fact, the smallest portion of rental properties are owned by real estate corporations and REITs – just 1.2%.

If you’re like most people, you’re feeling the squeeze of a tight, tough economy. At the same time, SFR investments are attracting more investors than ever! Throwing your proverbial hat into the ring might seem like a bigger challenge, but SFR investing makes it well worth it.

Whether you're new to investing, or simply want to explore options in your real estate portfolio, we're here to help you get the facts on single-family rentals (SFR).

At one time, it was thought that owning a home was a great investment. While this is true in a sense thanks to real estate being a hedge against inflation, your home alone isn’t something to hang your financial hat on. The truth of the matter is more complex: appreciation rates shift based on national, even global, economics, market-specific characteristics, and individual property qualities.

By the time you retire, you should be a real estate investor. You aren’t required to retire early to be successful. In fact, your investments don’t even have to totally unlock the coveted “financial freedom” raved about by the top voices in the industry.

Your real estate investment strategy impacts which markets you should target. Where buy-and-hold investing is concerned, your market choice is paramount.

Do you know what makes a good long-term rental property? As real estate investors, we must never invest blind. We don’t want to snatch up investment properties just because they’re there. No — each investment we make should be an intentional, perfect fit for our portfolios.

Patience is a virtue.

When you decide to take on the role of real estate investor, you are faced with a slew of choices to make and questions to ask. The strategies you employ as a real estate investor are extremely significant in terms of future opportunities, risk management, and how hands-on you have to be. For the new real estate investor, the first choice you make is whether or not to invest in the short-term or in the long-term.