• Discounts and special offers
  • Subscriber-only articles and interviews
  • Breaking news and trending topics

Already a subscriber?

By signing up, you accept Moneywise's Terms of Use, Subscription Agreement, and Privacy Policy.

Not interested ?

The rich own real estate for a reason

We all need a place to live, and that’s true for the poorest and wealthiest. While Elon Musk undoubtedly has quite the Rolodex of friends with very comfortable couches to crash on, most seek permanence.

Aside from the personal element, real estate has proven to be an asset class that provides the majority of most households’ wealth over long periods. A National Association of Realtors report shows consistent wealth generation numbers across the low, medium, and high-income thresholds over time. Generally, those who own their own houses build equity over time, as asset prices increase.

Owning stocks, bonds and other investments in a 401K or similar retirement account is great. But for many households living paycheck to paycheck, that sort of savings vehicle is out of reach. Making a monthly mortgage payment, however, is something that’s achievable for many, and can help build an important nest egg when the time comes to retire.

For those with a low rental payment, or who don’t want to venture into the real estate market given where interest rates are (even those who may have the down payment saved), there are options to consider in the rental market.

Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived allows investors to buy shares of rental homes and vacation rentals without taking on the similar responsibilities of direct homeownership and property management.

Start by browsing a curated selection of homes, vetted for their appreciation and income potential. Once you find a property you like, choose the number of shares you want to buy.

You can get invested with as little as $100 — a price tag that might look more appealing than the one associated with owning and managing a property yourself.

For those with a little more capital to put to work, First National Realty Partners (FNRP) is dedicated to providing accredited investors access to commercial real estate. The properties held within the FNRP’s portfolios are institutional-quality grocery-anchored real estate — the kinds of malls and outlets many investors may want exposure to, but don’t have the tens of millions of dollars (or more) to put a deal together.

Qualified investors can benefit from the fund’s structure, which can provide quarterly distributions and the potential for stable, positive cash flow growth over time.

The FNRP team rigorously assesses each deal, only picking the best. This can be a great choice for diversification purposes for investors aspiring to be the next Elon Musk.

Elon Musk’s investment portfolio is notoriously concentrated in the companies he owns and runs. But aside from commercial real estate and rental properties, there are other crowdfunding platforms that take an alternative approach by allowing you to invest directly in owner-occupied residential properties.

Cityfunds is a platform that allows you to own a share of residential properties in top U.S. cities – like Los Angeles, Miami and even Texas – in case you’ve ever dreamt of owning real estate on the same block as Musk.

Cityfunds allows you to secure a stake in the interest in a home’s future value in exchange for cash. You can invest in portfolios of these owner-occupied properties, gaining access to the $20 trillion home equity market that spans multiple top U.S. cities. So, as the value of the home appreciates, so does the value of your Cityfunds investment.

The company allows you to invest in the booming housing market, in some of the cities you love for as little as $500.

Moneywise Moneywise Editorial Team

The Moneywise Editorial Team is a group of passionate financial experts, seasoned journalists, and content creators who are deeply committed to providing unbiased, relevant, and accurate financial information. With years of combined industry experience, our team is dedicated to maintaining the highest journalistic standards and delivering informative and engaging content. From personal finance and investing to retirement planning and business finance, we cover a broad range of topics to suit the financial needs of our diverse readership. You can trust the Moneywise Editorial Team to empower you with the knowledge and tools necessary to make wise financial decisions.

Disclaimer

The content provided on Moneywise is information to help users become financially literate. It is neither tax nor legal advice, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, either express or implied, with respect to the data provided, the timeliness thereof, the results to be obtained by the use thereof or any other matter. Advertisers are not responsible for the content of this site, including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete and current information on any advertiser product, please visit their website.