RealtyTrac reports that February is one of the best times to buy a home, and with mortgage rates continuing to inch up, the perfect time to invest in a second home as a source of rental income could be right now.
Step one is to make sure you have the finances in place to afford an additional mortgage payment.On top of the mortgage payment, it is also important to make sure that you can afford any other debts that might come with buying a vacation home.
For example, can you pay to furnish it, and does it need any repairs?You should also have some financial reserves in case the home isn’t rented continuously and when it needs to be unoccupied for repairs after tenants vacate.
To the IRS, it is a property rented out during the taxable year but is occupied for more than 14 days or 10% of the number of days in which the property is rented.
2. How to Have an Investment Vacation Rental Without Committing Mortgage Fraud.
Renting out a second home teeters on the line of mortgage fraud or not, so it is important to understand the difference between an investment property and a second home that you rent out.