Jul 22, 2024
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Betsy Sweeney bought a crumbling 130-year-old house for $16,500 in Wheeling, West Virginia and renovated it into a gorgeous historic home — complete with its original pocket doors, Victorian fireplaces and a vintage bathtub.
"From the time I was a little girl, I always wanted to live in a big old house," Sweeney recounted on CNBC Make It in 2023.
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The architectural historian purchased the 3,075-square-foot, three-bedroom property in May 2020 when she was only 27 years old. She called it "unlivable" due to insufficient water filtration, brick degradation, and structural issues.
Sweeney's home transformation highlights the significant impact of renovation on a property's value.
Sweeney couldn't get a traditional mortgage, so she paid for it in cash and then secured a $100,000 construction loan to do the necessary renovations while preserving the building's stunning historic details.
Nowadays, this task could be even more taxing as high home prices persist . However, there are still ways you can invest in real estate in 2024 without all the effort Sweeney put in.
Passive alternatives to buying property
According to data from Realtor.com, the median price for a home in the United States sat at around $330,000 at the time Sweeney bought the house, compared to May 2024’s median price of $438,483. She managed to get her foot into real estate for a small fraction of those prices, but it took a lot of work to make the house livable.
If you’re not looking to purchase a physical property and undertake a complete makeover, but you still want to build wealth through real estate, there are a number of options available to you.
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If residential properties are more your style, you can use Arrived — an online platform where you can invest in shares of rental homes and even vacation rentals — to get into real estate without taking on the responsibilities of property management or being like Sweeney and reconstructing a 130-year-old home.
Getting started is simple. Begin by browsing a curated selection of homes, vetted for their appreciation and income potential. Once you find a property you like, you can choose the number of shares you want to buy. With Arrived, you can start investing in real estate with just $100.
If you want to expand your horizons beyond residential properties, you can take the commercial real estate route through First National Realty Partners (FNRP). FNRP is a private equity firm that makes commercial real estate accessible to everyday investors through its online platform.
FNRP gives accredited investors access to institutional-quality, grocery-anchored commercial real estate investments — and you don’t have to scope out the deals for yourself, manage property or revamp the space. FNRP’s team of experts manage every step of the investment process so you can enjoy the potential of necessity-based real estate instead of becoming a home renovator.
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An important asset
The median price for a home in the U.S. hovering around $440,000, and mortgage rates just under 7%, it’s no longer feasible for many Americans to invest in real estate by purchasing a home — unless they use more creative avenues, like Sweeney did.
“It is not realistic for most of this country to buy a house that is several hundreds of thousands of dollars,” she said.
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If you’re overwhelmed by all of your options for home renovation, investing in real estate or how to save up for a home, consider calling in a professional to help could give you some direction and peace of mind.
No matter what path you take, a home is one of the important assets in your portfolio.
For financial advice catered to your specific financial needs and portfolio goals, you can search for an advisor through Zoe Financial.
Zoe Financial connects users with vetted financial advisors so that you can get professional advice on how to manage your finances and achieve your real-estate goals
When you answer a few questions about yourself, Zoe Financial will match you with a curated list of financial professionals, and you can book a free, no-obligation consultation to see if they’re the right fit to help you navigate your real estate goals.
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