The American housing market just reached a staggering milestone: a total value of $55.1 trillion, representing a $20 trillion surge since early 2020. For context, that's more than the entire GDP of the United States. 

But before you pop the champagne or panic about market bubbles, let's talk about what this means for single-family rental investors — and why the shifting geography of housing wealth might present your best opportunity yet.

Real estate investors have a wealth of tax strategies at their disposal. This is one of the primary motivators for investors to choose real estate as their primary asset! We’re here to give you the rundown on one of the most powerful tax-deferral tools at your disposal: The 1031 Exchange.

Summary: A 1031 Exchange defers capital gains taxes through the sale of one investment property and the purchase of another "like-kind" property.

One of the most telling indicators of housing market health is inventory. We all know that a careful balance between supply and demand determines the strength of the real estate market. But the housing supply seesaw has been one-sided for a long time…high demand, low supply!

The Average Joe likely looks at the real estate market of 2024 in shock and awe. Prices are high, but mortgage rate cuts promised to bring everything back into balance. Meanwhile, data shows that the real estate market remains frozen, with only a tiny percentage of homes on the market changing hands.

In the information age, misinformation is a big problem. Plenty of people say whatever it takes to earn a buck, stir up controversy, or gain notoriety. It’s no different in the crowded world of financial and investment content. Take a look, and you’ll find your fair share of financial gurus offering empty, inactionable advice. And from people like that come plenty of myths…namely about earning passive income!

As the real estate market cools and potentially slides into a downturn (which is natural and not the same as a crash, mind you), investors must examine their risk exposure. New data from ATTOM shows that Southern and Midwestern markets are at the least risk for a serious downturn overall.

Are your investment goals out of reach as a “late bloomer” investor? Sure, in this business, time is of the essence. The sooner you can get started, the better. That doesn’t mean you’re disqualified from real estate investment success if you don’t start until your forties, fifties, or beyond!

If you were to ask a room of SFR investors what the most crucial factor in success was, you would get a whole array of answers: the location, the property itself, the property management, accurate number-crunching…the list goes on!

Though passive investors may not be involved in the day-to-day operations of their rental properties, they have plenty of responsibilities. One such responsibility is in managing and maximizing cash flow. This task starts from the outset as you weigh the cost of a rental property and its ongoing expenses against cash flow potential. But it doesn’t end there!

Those ongoing costs tend to increase over time – and part of your job is mitigating those increases to best preserve and maximize passive income.

Further Reading: Top Tips for Increasing the Profitability of Your Investment Properties

Investing out-of-state is one of the best things a passive real estate investor can do for their portfolio. After all, investing beyond your local market comes with some distinct advantages, such as: