Rent or Buy before Investment?

[Brendan Bruno]

So I am currently renting a house in western Washington (Puyallup) while getting started in investing and wholesaling so I can earn enough cash to start further investing in my goal of rental properties.

My wife and I hope to eventually buy our current rental for our primary residence from the current owners who we are sure will be willing to sell it to us.

MY BIG QUESTION: Should I first use the cash to buy our house (most likely as a down payment on a conventional mortgage - and there is not much opportunity for house hacking unless I turn the detached garage into an accessory unit)  OR should I use it to invest in our first rental?