Primary Residence for 3 Years (Rochester,MN)

[Matt Humphrey]

Hello everyone!

My wife and I are moving to Rochester, MN in the middle of June for her 3 year fellowship at Mayo Clinic. We will only be there for 3 years so buying a house isn't ideal but we are over renting and ready to own something and put some sweat-equity into a home. What are some qualities you look for in a home where you know you can add value before selling? An extra bed or bathroom? Basic upgrades to finishings? New kitchen? etc. 

Those are the things I have been looking for but looking for some suggestions. We plan on spending under 500k. We are in good financial position but would it be better to stay to stay on the lower end rather than the higher end due to leaving in 3 years or does it really not matter?

Thanks for your input. 

[Christopher Warne]

My wife and I bought our home the weekend after Match Day which is, as you can expect, when many houses go on the market and when there is the most competition. Many people buy homes without even seeing them.  That being said, $500k is above the price range for most trainees. We bought at $250k two years ago and now the zestimate is $285k to give you an idea of appreciation in that price range.

One thing that we wished we had looked at when we bought was the future rentability of our home. For what our house would rent for there really isn't any way it would cash flow. If we could go back we probably would have looked at homes with that in mind.