MoneyINC Logo
25+
Years of
Trust
13,000+
Articles
Written 
10M+
Annual 
Readers
300+
Global
Mentions

When Should You Sell Your Investment Real Estate?

House for Sale

Investing in Real Estate has become one of the lucrative businesses you can partake in if you have the means; it is all about maximizing your profit. If you become a landlord, you will enjoy passive income once your property gets tenants. If you have ever owned an investment property at some point in life, chances are several questions may pop up in your mind about whether to sell it or keep it. The answer could vary because if you sell your investment in Real Estate too early, you could lose out on capital growth. On the other hand, when you hold on to a particular investment for longer, you may be forced to sell it at a loss or, in some instances, miss out on valuable opportunities to go for better, more profitable investments. This write-up is a guide on when you should consider selling your investment Real Estate.

Dealing with real estate property can be challenging because the market force is notoriously difficult to predict what can happen and when it is at the best of times. According to Boutique Property Agents, you need to be on the lookout because there are crucial indicators that can help you tell when it's the ideal time to consider selling that investment property you've held on to. As an investor, it would be best to take note of your financial situation and consult with your family members, financial advisor, or broker to ensure that you make the right decision on when it is ideal to change ownership. Here are scenarios that might be beneficial for you to consider selling that Real Estate property you have.

1. When you have created other Better Ways of Earning Passive Income

Real Estate can become a better way to earn passive income at the end of the month, but it's not the only game in town to stick to. As another form of investment, it would be wise to diversify to other new opportunities. When you consider dividends and bonds and compare them to Real Estate investments, they are easier to invest in than Real Estate. You can also ask any landlord, and they will agree to this. You can exploit many other options with greater passive income returns. They include dividend income, P2P income, bond income, real estate crowdfunding income, CD income, REIT income, and royalty income. Diversifying into other investments could be a good move because you may never know which asset class at your disposal will be pounded on and which asset class will begin to flourish. According to Financial Samurai, other sources, when they begin to flourish, they will perform better. They may not also require maintenance like in the case of Real Estate properties.

2. When a Major Life Event Comes Up

There are some crucial life events that can pop up suddenly and may warrant you to re-evaluate if you will continue owning your investment properties. These events include death within the family, an unwanted layoff at work, a new family member addition, a divorce, a terrible accident that may require extra care, or when you are relocating from your current job. When such major life events affect you, which may require more attention, and it may be challenging for you to focus on taking care of your property. It would help if you could consider selling your property. However, some life events may require you to keep your property to earn some semi-passive income.

3. Retirement

Retirement by many Real Estate owners has become a common Trent. When you are about to retire, selling property helps retirees save on paying taxes. They may keep some of the returns after selling their property in their super fund. If you plan to sell your property after retirement, please be aware that once you have received money for that investment property after you have retired, it may contribute to your income and even mess up your pension entitlements.

5. When it Becomes Difficult to Maintain that Property

Let's face it, maintaining a real estate property can become expensive. As the owner of a property, you need to be sure that your property is habitable to keep your tenants excited and at peace without complaints, and it meets all the health guidelines and codes. Property may require maintenance from time to time. Some of them you can perform through DIY projects; others will require professionals to handle them and can hit your bank account massively. According to Home Go, if you realize that you cannot fund costly repairs or you are experiencing hardship maintaining your to-do list, it would be best to sell that property. If it's rentals, you may face such issues which can force you to sell that property. The property may require that you repair roofs, replace them, perform mold remediation and replace HV/AC systems. Property taxes may increase with time, your tenant may make late payments, and the tenant may also damage expensive equipment and skip out. The management and staffing at your property may affect your budget, the neighborhood where the property is situated may change, and it becomes difficult to get new tenants. The on-site management may lack the experience to handle the job.

6. Investing the Proceeds

Sometimes, you may not want to be a landlord, but you can remain an investor in the real estate sector. You can accomplish this method by purchasing units from a real estate investment trust (REITS). These are companies that own, finance, and operate income-generating properties. REITs pull capital from interested investors in their sector who will be earning dividends from the various real estate investment plans they operate without them buying those properties. As an investor in this sector, you will not be required to have any sweat equity as REITs will manage and finance the property by themselves. Other areas to consider real estate investment possibilities include the real estate exchange-traded fund TSX Real Estate Capped Index, which invests in and manages real estate and infrastructure projects.

7. When the Joy of Holding onto that property has diminished

When you begin to make more money, you may also experience less joy going to collect rental income. The joy that you once used to have to drop by your Real Estate property will reduce at some point. Instead, it will turn out to be a pure income-generating venture without giving you some nostalgic memories. According to Upside, when you find yourself to have gone through a state of taking away your emotions from your investment, that is the point you will begin to become a better investor.

8. When Real Estate owners become a Target for Extreme Tax Hikes

City and State government officials in charge of Real Estate tax target property owners to pay for new projects by imposing higher property taxes. Usually, they do this instead of increasing taxes through fares on patrons. For instance, the government could intend to raise train fares in the SF Bay Area. Still, since they are afraid to affect that sector, they may resort to targeting homeowners to submit higher property taxes for ten years to use that proceeds to fund a stipulated train bond. A logical conclusion would be to pass that higher property tax charge to your tenant. But, it may take time for you to consider going through that process so as not to experience a backlash from your tenants that may force an exodus movement out of your property. If there is no end in sight for remitting high taxes on your property in a particular state, it would be wise to consider doing a 1031 exchange and moving to a different state with friendly tax charges.

9. When your Real Estate properties command larger than 50 percent of your Net Worth

Usually, it is recommended for anyone who has invested more than 50 percent of their net worth in one asset class to consider other business ventures. When everything falls in one basket, you may encounter a situation that will force you not to submit your debt payment, especially when you used your property as collateral. According to Renovated, when you are blessed, you begin to reach financial independence, it would be better to consider having at least three or four other main asset classes which could count for 25 % or more of your net worth. It is essential to have at least an asset class that when the other property zig, it will zag, or have an asset base that when the rest of your assets begin to crumble, it will generate income to sustain you. For instance, during times when many Americans face financial crises, many of them get wiped out because the majority of them (80% +) had their net worth all tied to their primary residence.

10. Calculated interest-only home loan investing

Another wise move investors engage in property investment is by applying for an interest-only home loan. This type of loan requires an investor to borrow a loan to submit payments on the stipulated interest that the lender has set for a given period of time. Therefore, as a borrower, you will not be reducing the mortgage because you will not be paying off the principal loan amount. This form of payment allows you to reduce your loan amount every month, and you continue to increase your cash flow. Therefore, you can invest in another form of new opportunities in the market. With this form of an investment plan, you can buy a property in an area with a high growth rate to dispose of it within a few years for a profit when its value appreciates. This strategy ensures that you keep your expenses low and profit from that form of investment. However, it would be best if you could keep a good timing on when to sell the property by understanding the market when the prices are good. Investing in interest-only mortgages can be risky because it can be difficult to tell if the property will increase in value by the time you have completed the interest-only period if the interest rate is very high.

11. When you Experience Negative Cash Flow

If the investment property you possess is a rental one, it brings negative cash flow at the end of the month, which is a dangerous sign that should indicate to you to consider moving on from it to other things. According to Different.com, you begin to lose money directly when you are a property owner, which will impact all your return on investment negatively. If you allow this predicament to go on for long, you will lose more money. Therefore, as a property owner, you need to ensure that all your returns from the real estate property are all tracked correctly and accurately, even if you run them solely. Create a neat data management system to keep accurate track records and record all rental payments, repair you undertake, and bill payment records. This will help you know how your property is performing. If you realize the data you have is accurate and the situation with that property isn't encouraging, it would be best to move on from it.

12. When your House Flip is complete

You can maximize your amount once you sell your property by renovating or refurbishing it. To make more profit, you can add a new bathroom or kitchen to it or convert a spare room to become an office. Remember, even a small cosmetic change that you make to your property, like repainting it, building new cupboards, or floorboards, could significantly increase the value of that property. Some modifications will only require you to conduct some research and perform them yourself at a cheaper cost.

Final Verdict

Deciding whether to sell You Sell Your Investment Real Estate or keep it will be a big decision. You should never take this decision lightly, and only you should make it. Most importantly, when making such a decision, please consider the unique circumstance and the repercussions it will cause, like taxation after selling. Also, remember to evaluate your financial position and what you indent to achieve by selling that prized asset.

Allen Lee

Written by Allen Lee

Allen Lee is a Toronto-based freelance writer who studied business in school but has since turned to other pursuits. He spends more time than is perhaps wise with his eyes fixed on a screen either reading history books, keeping up with international news, or playing the latest releases on the Steam platform, which serve as the subject matter for much of his writing output. Currently, Lee is practicing the smidgen of Chinese that he picked up while visiting the Chinese mainland in hopes of someday being able to read certain historical texts in their original language.

Read more posts by Allen Lee

Related Articles

Stay ahead of the curve with our most recent guides and articles on , freshly curated by our diligent editorial team for your immediate perusal.
As featured on:

Wealth Insight!
Subscribe to our Exclusive Newsletter

Dive into the world of wealth and extravagance with Money Inc! Discover stock tips, businesses, luxury items, and travel experiences curated for the affluent observer.
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram