Category: Investing In Real Estate

People ask if house hacking is still a realistic and viable option in the Bay Area given our high price points and continued move towards tenants rights and rent control. We believe wholeheartedly that it is. It may not result in ‘free’ living right away, but we believe it’s far better than the alternative. Our clients who end up in successful house hack situations keep their monthly housing expenses far lower than if they had continued to rent or bought a single family home. Add that to the long term benefits of owning real estate, and these folks are in

I love talking about investing in real estate with new or first-time investors in Oakland. What’s cool about real estate is that it nearly always fits investors’ goals and should become part of an investment strategy. It’s usually some combination of five main reasons: cash flow, appreciation, equity, leverage, tax benefits. Cashflow Real estate as an investment often produces income through rent. After subtracting expenses and mortgage payments, you’re left with cash flow. It’s a good thing. I love it and you will too.  Appreciation Appreciation is the increase in value. This is where much of the wealth in real

A few weeks ago, I wrote this Beginner’s Guide to Real Estate Investing in Oakland, in which I detailed how to invest in small multi-family properties using a technique called house hacking, in which you live in one unit and rent out the other(s), having your tenants help pay down your mortgage. However, though it all sounds good in theory, I know that it can be quite daunting to take that first step. How do you find the right property? How do you analyze the numbers to make sure it makes sense? How do you deal with being a landlord?

In a world where bigger is often better, an interesting phenomenon has emerged: the tiny house movement. Over the past several decades, the trend has been toward bigger houses on bigger lots. While the average home size in 1950 was under 1,000 square feet, that figure has now surpassed 2,600 square feet. That’s huge! We would need walkie talkies to communicate with each other.  Okay, maybe not, but walkie talkies are just fun. Anyway, back to tiny houses. This growing fascination with tiny houses and tiny living has emerged from the interest in living simpler and more efficient lives. Source:

Update 9/2/19: Since writing the original version of this article, we’ve helped around 25 families use this strategy to get into a home in an increasingly challenging market. Our passion has led us to creating a free, in-person class so we can reach more people. Information on the next session can be found here: http://events.dickersonrealty.com I live in North Oakland, one of the hottest neighborhoods in the Bay Area. Homes here are routinely listed near a million dollars and sold for over a million. I’m not one of those people who bought my home 25 years ago for $50,000. I