The only exception i see to this is if building would allow you to have your dream home somewhere outside the city where the land is cheaper.

Cheaper- The houses in Philly are almost half or less than LA and you get more value for your buck.

I am debating adding another bed and minor cosmetic updates as a cheaper option to force overall appreciation for a higher monthly rental rate.

Mobile homes can be cheaper, but they might not appreciate in value like a regular house would.

When you add in taxes and insurance, it may be closer to 50% cheaper to rent.Something has to give.

Obviously the former guarantees an extra $30 a month of income (in retrospect), but the latter is way cheaper and it will take, 50-66 months (4-6 years), to pay back.

Activities such as appealing assessed values, shopping for cheaper utility providers, shopping for cheaper insurance, or even energy efficiency upgrades are all on the table.

I thought about it, and figured that if she moves out who knows what kind of condition the house will be in, I probably will end up putting money into it anyway, so probably will be cheaper for me to lower the rent.

There are online services that may do it cheaper, but results will vary I suppose.

The fee structure is better than Airbnb (only a 1 time small yearly fee) but tends to attract people looking for cheaper options.