It's a convenient way to grow your portfolio too.Like you mentioned, don't bank on mortgage rates falling much.

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

It's your responsibility to perform proper due diligence and don't be surprised if the reality doesn't match what the agent has stated.Time to rent and length of stay - I was checking out an apartment building.

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

Milwaukee is block by block and most OOS investors (and relocation clients) are surprised by the range of choices.

(And that assumes your HOA is very well run and you are not surprised by any special assessments.)  

We wanted to still be able to stay at our house when we are in town for convenience sake.

That could be as high as $14K to $15K not to mention Title fee's, origination fee's and days of interest another $7K to $8K.If you choose a lender or broker and they hit you with lender/broker fee's/points that’s another added cost.My best advice as a Banker is reach out now get a Pre-approval letter up front and give the Bank an idea of what neighborhood or a "mock" address and you can get an actual quote up front to avoid surprises.

To prove my point I will take my market here in Utah, this may not be the same for your market but I would be surprised if we are the only location reacting this way.Below is a graph from Q3 2019-Q3 2023.

However, if you can deliver your message AT A GLANCE, and it looks professional enough AND you tell them to KEEP your card for future reference, you may be surprised as to how well your closing ratio improves over time.