Investing without owning a home of your own

[Peter Tahk]

I am looking into investing into real estate and want to see what everyone thinks about investing first without owning a home of your own. Or should I just save for my own place then think about investing later. I live in CA so rent is high and homes are even higher. I'm not too interested in house hacking either. I feel torn because I want the little money I have saved up work for me but at the same time if I start investing, buying a home of my own may never happen. Thoughts? Thank you

[Jeff Greenberg]

As Robert Kiyosaki states, your home is not an asset. At least not until you sell or pull funds out of it.  If you have to choose, do it based on the financial analysis, not the emotional need to be an owner. Where is your market in its cycle? If you are in a market like CA, the prices are high. How much higher will they go before leveling or dropping, is anyone's guess.

Unless you can find a distressed property to buy for your personal residence, you will be buying for the emotional need to own a home.  There is nothing wrong with that, but don't fool yourself by thinking buying market rate in the current CA market is a good investment.