How to Invest in Real Estate For Retirement Without Risking Your Nest Egg

Months traveling on international adventures, days volunteering for your favorite cause, hours pursuing your passions and hobbies—all of these exciting life-after-retirement plans require a steady stream of income. The problem is, that nest-egg you’ve saved up may not be enough…unless you keep your money working for you in a low-risk investment, like real estate.

While economic fluctuations may temporarily lower the value of your investment property on paper, historically home values steadily increase over time. In fact, U.S. Census Bureau data shows that in the 60 years after the first housing census in 1940, home values (adjusted for inflation) nearly quadrupled.

A recent report by Gallup found that Americans have chosen real estate as the best investment opportunity for the for the last five years.

According to Nile Lundgren, a top New York agent and Bloomberg TV commentator, who was named Executive of the Month by the New York Real Estate Journal:

“If you’re going to be retiring, it’s always a good thing to invest in real estate—not just for you as your life carries out, but for many generations to come.”

As a tangible asset, real estate boosts your monthly retirement income while appreciating as an asset to pass down to your children and heirs. But if you don’t invest carefully, you could be putting your life savings at risk at a time when you need it most.

We looked into all the options to find the two lowest risk real estate investments you can make as a retiree, backed by data and the advice of expert real estate investors, and how to make the most of each.

Purchase Your Own Income Properties

Buying a second home on your own offers the promise of the greatest return on your investment if you treat it as an income property. With an expert real estate agent helping you find the right property, the rent will cover the home’s mortgage and provide you with an additional monthly income—all while the home increases in net worth.

As Lundgren advises, “I love the investment side of buying a second home because it’s very cut and dried, very numbers driven. You look at what you can rent it out for, what the mortgage is going to be, what the taxes are, and with a couple of easy math problems you can model out your cash flow and a future line projection of what the asset will to be worth.”

If you’re thinking about purchasing an income property, here’s what you should do:

 1. Work with an experienced real estate agent to find the right property.

Many real estate agents who specialize in investment properties get expert training to better help you navigate finding a rental property.

The National Association of Realtors offers certification for agents to become a Resort and Second-Home Property Specialist (RSPS), which means they’ve taken certain courses beyond regular real estate licensing.

The RSPS designation means the agent is an expert in finding “investment, development, retirement, or second homes in a resort, recreational and/or vacation destination.” Bingo!

Go to HomeLight to find a top-performing real estate agent who specializes in your area and the property type you’re looking for. Ask the concierge to connect you with an agent with the RSPS designation.

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