A lot of people have outdated assumptions about who rents their homes. In this day and age, renting isn’t something people necessarily do out of necessity. While that may be the case, more and more people are choosing to rent.

What is the best way to invest in real estate? While an investor can utilize numerous strategies and approaches to pursue financial freedom, it starts with one debate: active versus passive investing.

ATTOM, a curated real estate data titan, recently released the second quarter 2024 U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report. And if you own property in the United States, things are looking up. 49.2% of mortgaged residential properties are considered “equity-rich.” This means these properties have a combined estimated loan balance under half of the property’s estimated value.

If you want to lose your mind, try to keep up with all the predictions being made about the real estate market. Doing so is exhausting. Even if some interpretations and predictions have merit, they’re just that – predictions. In many ways, the headlines are designed to scare us. Navigating news on the real estate market is frustrating: full of mixed messages and emotionally charged rhetoric.

And for every opinion you see, you’ll find one to counter it. 

So, how do we move forward without fear as real estate investors? After all, we don't have time to be paralyzed by every doom-and-gloom headline. You're in luck - here are the secrets to fearless real estate investing.

2024 seems like it will break out of some of the downward real estate trends we’ve seen due to rising interest rates and inflation. While it’s unlikely we’ll see a break-out year for real estate, signs indicate that conditions will warm up to buyers over the next few years.

During different seasons and cycles of the real estate market, investors will find their priorities changing. Maybe property acquisitions must take a backseat or decrease in frequency. When your focus must shift, you may not always know what to do with yourself.

While high interest rates make investing in real estate more challenging, it remains a viable and profitable investment strategy. We also want to point out that real estate isn’t the only asset impacted by interest rates.

Who doesn’t love scoring a great deal? While this approach works for the sale rack, it’s not so wise where rental properties are concerned. Real estate investors, from newbies to old pros, know the temptation of a “great” deal. We’ve been there, done that – and know from experience that cheap properties don’t build world-class portfolios.

Real estate investors choosing to sit on their hands in wait for a market crash will be sorely disappointed. Investors must adapt their strategies for any and everything the real estate market brings to the table, favorable and otherwise. We can always wait and hope that conditions will take a turn for the ideal, but that’s not a reliable investment method.

It looks as though U.S. inflation is finally easing up. While that doesn’t mean we’re out of the economic woods, it does mean that we’re about to be less stuck in the tension between extreme inflation and market recession. That’s not to say prices are where they should be – but the intense squeeze of the market gives us a little breathing room.