Confused between Primary home vs Investment Home

[Karan Anand]

Hi,

I am living in the bay area and paying 3400 rent for 2b2b apartment. I would like to buy a home as i feel the prices will shoot up by the next year when the interest rate comes down and also, i feel 3400 rent is too high to pay .

Should I buy a townhouse as my primary residence in Silicon Valley (Sunnyvale, SJ, Fremont, etc.) for $1-1.2M, or should I buy an investment SFH (Single Family Home) outside the area for $600-700k, given that I need to move out of the country for 1-1.5 years and want to ensure a good rental market to cover my mortgage or part of my mortgage?