Parents and College Buyers
Buying a Home Near Campus
Sometimes it beats four years of student housing. Sometimes it does not. The answer depends on your situation, not a rule of thumb.
Worth Thinking Through
Seven Things That Decide It
Run through these before you compare a mortgage payment to a dorm bill.
01
Location
How close to campus matters more for resale than it does for the student.
02
Length of Ownership
Four years is short for real estate. Six or more changes the math.
03
Roommates
Rent from roommates helps, and it also makes you a landlord.
04
Property Type
Condo, duplex or small house each behave differently near a campus.
05
Future Use
What happens to the property after graduation is part of the decision now.
06
Resale
Who buys it next, and how quickly, in a market driven by the school calendar.
07
Your Objectives
Housing a student and building an investment are not always the same goal.
Straight Answer
Buying Is Not Automatically Better Than Renting
Ian will walk you through the trade-offs honestly, including the case for not buying at all.