Entrepreneur BUY YOUR SECOND HOME FIRST: THE STRATEGY MORE PEOPLE ARE USING TO BUILD WEALTH

Entrepreneur BUY YOUR SECOND HOME FIRST: THE STRATEGY MORE PEOPLE ARE USING TO BUILD WEALTH Renting is cheaper than buying in 50 of the largest U.S. metros. For millions of people in high cost-of-living cities, the traditional path to homeownership is mathematically out of reach. So a growing number of aspiring homeowners are skipping the primary home entirely and buying their "second home" first. Entrepreneur She paid for the house. Airbnb covered the rest. Instead of saving for a New York down payment, Katie Cline bought a vacation home near Lake George for a million dollars less than the Manhattan median. After light renovations, she listed on Airbnb and VRBO. In year one, just 90 booked nights covered all annual costs, contributed to savings and funded capital improvements. The home paid for itself. Entrepreneur Second home mortgages allow as little as 10% down. Unlike a primary residence at scale, the lower purchase price and rental revenue change the math entirely. The property is already up an estimated 15% in value in two years. When it isn't booked, it's a personal retreat. The flexibility works both ways: building equity without being locked into one city or one life plan forever. Entrepreneur Managing a rental taught her to think like an entrepreneur. Pricing strategy, branding, vendor management, guest experience, systems-building; skills she learned from running a vacation property, not a business school. That first home led to a second. She's now under contract on a third. Entrepreneur