You've built a solid foundation with your first investment property. Cash flow is steady, your property management team has things running smoothly, and you're ready to grow. But here's the question that stops many investors in their tracks: should you buy another property in the same market, or is it time to expand into a new city?

Geographic diversification is one of the most powerful risk management tools in real estate investing. When done right, it protects your portfolio from localized economic downturns while opening doors to markets with stronger cash-flow potential. Done wrong, it can spread you too thin and complicate your investment strategy.

Here's how to know when diversifying geographically makes sense for your portfolio.

Investing in real estate is an exciting prospect with the potential to totally transform your financial future. But it’s also intimidating for first-time investors, and understandably so! A significant amount of money is at stake, and there’s so much for new investors to learn.

As a result, many newcomers opt for a turnkey approach. That is, they purchase properties from an established turnkey provider that handles property acquisition, renovations, resident placement, and property management.

When people seek a hassle-free, ready-to-move-in solution, they turn to new construction. The allure of pristine siding, spotless floors, and that unmistakable 'new house' scent is undeniable. Many are drawn to new construction not just for its contemporary aesthetics and conveniences, but also for the promise of being the first owner.

Do you find investing in real estate boring? If so, you’re on the right track. As a society, we’ve largely come to think of boredom as bad where busyness is lauded. Make no mistake – we’re not talking about the boredom that comes from laziness. It instead comes from avoiding impulsive decision-making based on hype, flash-in-the-pan opportunities that don’t provide financial stability.

The real estate market is tough to predict in the best of times, and reports show it’s harder now than ever. The market isn’t behaving as we’d expect –throwing a wrench in our ability to make accurate predictions. But don’t worry! Just because we won’t be looking at 2025 predictions doesn’t mean investors are left flying blind.

Inexperienced investors are more likely to rely on their own sense of logic and reason instead of following tried-and-true financial advice. After all, certain investment strategies seem strange and counterintuitive to the uninitiated. But make no mistake – our instincts are prone to lead us astray regarding financial wisdom.

With the 2024 Paris Olympic Games underway, we’re enamored with the Olympian spirit. Truly, fewer people are more resilient and dedicated on the planet! But as hard as these athletes train with blood, sweat, and tears, not everyone will win the gold. There will be failure and heartbreak.

For real estate investors, it’s relatively easy to look at all the news coming out about the real estate market and lament. You might feel like there’s no place for you anymore, and investing is too hard. Believe us, that’s not the case! Part of the problem is that many of these reports and analyses look at overall medians and averages. 

While these are concise ways to talk about overall trends in the country, investors need to zoom in. The real estate market is not uniform. It varies, and investors must take advantage of it. We found these maps by ResiClub (courtesy of Fast Company) helpful in illustrating this point.

These maps effectively represent median home prices within individual markets across the country. While the $380,000+ median price sounds scary, we must recognize that that number doesn’t reflect every market.

So, what do these maps tell us about the real estate market…and investing?

You’ve undoubtedly poured over the details when looking for a real estate investment market. You’ve analyzed rental rates, median income, sales prices, local economics, and more…but have you asked about the weather?

Location matters, not just because of the economics, housing affordability, or rental demand but because of the climate. 

Both run-of-the-mill weather risks and natural disasters could jeopardize your investment property. If anything, it could be costing you a pretty penny in maintenance and insurance costs! Here’s what you need to consider about the climate as you choose an investment market:

In real estate, location is everything. Whether you’re determining where to invest for the first time, where to expand your portfolio, or whether or not your current markets are still best suited for investment growth, you need a set of clear guidelines and metrics to follow.