[exclusiv]

Yeah I'm in Southern California and I could buy a primary but I'd have to spend at least $1.25M for a small place where I'd want to live. It just doesn't make sense though. I rented a $2M house last year for $4.3k/mo. It's just way cheaper to rent at that level. You're either renting the house or renting the money (mortgage).

I've been buying investment properties for $500-600k each that cash flow instead. I don't want to rely on appreciation and I don't want to come out of pocket to cover the debt. The cash flow offsets your liability and improves debt to income so you can get approved for buying more cash flowing homes (once you can show income). So you should be able to buy a home at least every 2 years.

I may buy a primary if the market corrects, but otherwise I'm perfectly fine renting my primary. Too many people get infatuated with the idea of owning a primary residence. If you live in an expensive area, it's best to earn the higher salary there and rent, invest elsewhere and move somewhere cheaper later.