Buying a home as a place to live certainly has important financial implications, but they are only part of an equation that has major lifestyle implications. A given house may be a really terrific deal—but if it turns out that you aren’t comfortable living there, buying it will probably wind up being a mistake.

When the motivation for an investment in Oklahoma City residential real estate is purely financial, it’s a less complicated decision. Taking all factors into account, when a property pencils out as a likely financial winner, it’s a matter of weighing it against the risks and rewards of available alternative investments. In one risk-minimizing longer-term strategy, for instance, the risk that a rental property might go vacant is minimized by setting its monthly rental at little more than the cost of maintenance and mortgage payments. The plan is to patiently await the blissful moment when the mortgage is paid off—at which point a substantial net income begins to flow.

In all cases, any real estate investment in Oklahoma City should be part an overall strategy. It’s likely to represent diversification within a mix of other investment vehicles. Equities and bonds don’t have the “reality” that a deed conveys, but do have the advantage of being less complicated to buy and manage. To the extent that they can be sold more quickly, they are rightly thought of as being more liquid…which brings up the point, here.

Knowing when you can cash out to free equity for other purposes is a positive, for sure—but there are liquidity options for Oklahoma City real estate investments, too:

• Home Equity Loans. Carrying a fixed or variable interest rate, “seconds” are usually easier to arrange than primary home loans—and are often free of closing costs.

• HELOCs. These tap home equity to collateralize a line of credit. They are often described as functioning like low-interest credit cards—amounts are borrowed in increments the borrower wishes up to the credit limit; then paid off over time.

• Cash Out Refinance Loans. These are like home equity loans taken in amounts more than the amount owed. The difference is freed for investment elsewhere (or for any other purpose).

As Investopedia’s Robert Stammers writes, “increasing concerns about the future long-term variability of stock and bond returns” explains why a tactical investment in real estate “is known for its ability to serve as a portfolio diversifier and inflation hedge.”

Knowing how an investment in Oklahoma City real estate would figure into your own long-term plan requires knowing what all the options are—and the easily overlooked liquidity dimension of a real estate investment is one of those. Give me a call if you are interested in sharing an overview of some of the best opportunities now on the market! Or visit LandonWhitt.com for the latests properties for sale.