This blogpost is about choosing the location of AA) first family rental home BB) first rental property (lease spread). AA is more important but both decisions influence each other.

Timeline? My family may stay in this municipality if not this neighborhood for 12-36M. Note my kids won’t want to move school too often.

Therefore, I call it a bet. Once you place your bet you can’t always back out without a cost.

Default choice for AA is JC/Bayonne/Hob. Feasibility due diligence is the first priority in the analysis

• SDXQ, CC2, clean street, parks,
• car-dependency .. important in my first 6M. JC downtown is excellent
• affordable rent with sublease .. Bayonne is low-rent, so is the the old JC, but downtown JC may enjoy better sublease demand.

— The BB decision is more complicated than AA. Bigger commitment. For the first buy, better buy small and buy in familiar locations.

(To reduce the commitment, REIT lease spread is an innovative idea.)

Ideally, the place should be acceptable as my family home. If rental demand is lower, my family can live there.