Your most important consideration is location.  All real estate is local. A home in a weak location will not serve anyone’s goals – if an investor can’t resell or rent the property it’s unlikely a vacationer or prospective tenant will enjoy it. Pay attention to market conditions in the area you choose while looking into the strength of the local economy, trends in house resale values, quality of schools, and the overall demographics.  In this current California real estate market we’d like to suggest for your consideration southern Santa Barbara, Marin County, and San Francisco.  All exceptional California real estate markets appear to rebound strongly right now.

 

      Another consideration is knowing what your tax implications will be. Realtors are not tax experts, and we recommend that you consult with your tax person before making any decisions.  Tax considerations vary from state to state and localities.

 

     What type of financing will you need? Should you consider nontraditional financing methods? We recommend you meet with a lender, or mortgage broker to assist you with any financial questions.  If you’d like to work with a reputable local Santa Barbara, Marin County, or San Francisco financial person we can recommend someone.  Although we live and work in Santa Barbara, we have very strong real estate connections in the Bay Area.

 

      You’re about to become a landlord, be prepared! Finding good tenants or trustworthy vacation renters is not the simplest task.  We recommend using a reputable local management company that can deal with the ongoing management of your property and any possible repairs or situations that present themselves. The obligations of managing a long-term rental are quite different from those of a periodic rental.

 

      If you’d like more information about 2nd Homes here in Santa Barbara please feel free to contact us, we’re more than happy to assist you in this process!