Newbie, getting started

Hi Kurt,
Welcome aboard, and it is good to see you asking before doing – many seem to shoot first and ask questions later (and that can be dire, depending on just what was done…) :o

Rentvesting doesn’t seem too wise, as it’s lost money,

Kurt, they say that too about Rent (even if not investing). But then, some other points go un-noticed, and some of these I offer now for your consideration:–

1. Any Interest paid on a mortgage is similarly “lost money” (also referred to as dead money) Do you have alternatives to either paying rent or a mortgage?

We all need shelter – of course that can be a tent, a camper, a caravan, live with parents, rent a house/unit, or we buy one. Which is best? Well, working that out is where the fun begins!! ;)
For now though, do consider you might have some lost money (or lost advantages) to consider in whatever way you choose, so let’s look at other points that may make it easier to accept the losses.

2. If others are occupying your rental houses, and are paying their “lost money” to you, won’t that offset the amount of lost money you need to pay from your wage if you are also renting? And what if the Tax Dept now requires you to pay LESS Tax as you are now helping to provide accommodation for others? Isn’t that also lessening the amount of “lost money” you have to pay (at least, it leaves more in your paypacket from which to pay that lost money)? You DON’T get that advantage when buying a home for yourself.

3. You can invest in areas where returns are better, while renting a place in areas closer to your work, saving you transport costs, time costs, and can also be providing you a better stream of Income by allowing you to invest in a more financially sensible area.
There is a lot more to consider before making decisions re Rentvesting, or even buying a PPOR. Be sure you are a “full bottle” (or have taken the time to check your assumptions with the right advisers) before pulling the investing trigger :)

You mention being in a regional area – and yes, that can work, depending…. Probably the major considerations should include –
the town’s future – are there several employers in this area, or just one major one? (Risk)
demographics – is this a growing population, or are people leaving it?
tourism – is there a range of attractions there that draws tourists to it? As such, it might well draw service people to the town too (backpackers doing waiting on tables) and they need shelter.
the usual – vacancy rates, returns, prices of properties.

Here is a link to a post showing where a family took a “Heads I win” decision along the same lines as you mentioned (buying a block of units or motel) and their results over time. Can it work for you too? Let’s see:-
https://www.propertyinvesting.com/topic/4996026-quotes-of-note/

The full quote was “Heads I win, and Tails I shouldn’t lose much at all” – not quite a double-headed penny, but it was pretty close to it, as you will see if you click the link to read the full story.

Hope that helps somewhat,

Benny