Investing DURING retirement

[Vincent R.]

Hi all,

So... I guess I've given my mom the itch to invest in real estate. The thing is, she wants to invest locally and our market does not cash flow (unless you put in the work for a value-add property or put 50% down). I dont think she is looking for value-add and she doesnt necessarily have 50% down for a Bay Area (California) property. She would really prefer to purchase in the area/stay local... there are non-financial factors at play.

Her primary residence will be paid off in about a year, at which point she is considering retiring. Her retirement income will be substantial, but she does not necessarily want to pour in an extra $1,000 to $2,000 monthly in order to "invest" (yes, rent-to-price in the area is that big of a difference without BRRRR or large downpayments).

Questions:

1. Any suggestions for staying in this market without "losing" money every month?

2. I'd prefer to ask "how can she" not "can she", but... the question remains: is it wise to purchase an investment property at 64 years old? I believe she only wants one solid property, not to build a portfolio.

3. Her retirement funds should be sufficient, but... inflation. Any ideas for her to preserve her wealth? I doubt she wants to go the stock market route this close to retirement.

Thanks in advance for any thought/time you pour into this post!

[Arlen Chou]

@Vincent R. your mother sounds like she will be in a very good place in a year. I am not sure what a "substantial" retirement income looks like, as it depends on the person and their needs. If she is NOT looking for wealth generation nor additional income then taking the risks and headaches of getting into being a landlord is probably not the best idea. Wealth preservation is very different than wealth creation. There are many easier and less risky roads to venture down to hedge against inflation. 

What she needs to do is do a financial life assessment and figure out if she has enough existing funds and retirement income to provide for the lifestyle she wants for the next 20-25 years. She should definitely take health care, vacations, etc. into account. Many people at that age figure out that it is easier and actually more fun to have a part-time job to add to the pot over the retirement years than it is to worry about large capital investments like a single rental. 

Good luck!

Arlen