10/09/2026
Why are more owners asking whether to rent out the house they're leaving?
Two things. Just over half of homeowners with a mortgage are carrying a rate below 4%, while a new loan today costs closer to 7% or more. That old rate is an asset, and selling means handing it back.
And the market has loosened. There's more unsold inventory than there's been in over a decade, and homes are taking longer to move.
Put those together and you get what now has a name: the accidental landlord, someone who listed, didn't get the number they wanted, and rented the place out instead. That group recently hit a three-year high.
It's still a small slice of the market, and it isn't the right answer for everyone. But it's a real question now, and the owners who come out ahead are the ones who decide on purpose, before they list, with the numbers in front of them.
Read the full article: http://andreahamacher.com/sell-it-or-rent-it-out-how-to-decide-what-to-do-with-your-home-when-you-move/Andrea Hamacher, REALTOR® | Coldwell Banker West | DRE: 01858698
