A prospective client recently asked me a question I hadn’t given much thought to before:
“When will you stop buying?”
It caught me off guard—not because I didn’t have an answer, but because I hadn’t considered how personal that decision really is.
For some, there is no stopping point. They love building their portfolio, acquiring more properties, and scaling indefinitely.
For others, real estate is a means to an end—a tool to achieve a specific financial or lifestyle goal.
So, when should you stop investing in real estate?
The truth is, only you can answer that question. It depends on your goals, your risk tolerance, and what motivates you.
Here’s how I personally approached it.
Defining Your End Goal
When my wife and I started investing, we had one clear, well-defined goal:
Create enough passive income to comfortably move back to California.
For us, that meant hitting $15,000 in gross monthly rental income.
Once we reached that number, we stopped aggressively buying.
That was the plan from the beginning—hit the goal, then pivot. And for a while, that seemed like the perfect ending to our real estate journey.
But in reality, stopping wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be.
The Challenge of Letting Go
What I didn’t anticipate was how much I enjoyed real estate investing.
- I loved the thrill of the deal. Finding undervalued properties, negotiating, and closing felt like a game I had gotten good at.
- Renovating properties was deeply rewarding. Taking something distressed and turning it into a livable, cash-flowing rental never got old.
- I had built a great network. Over the years, I had surrounded myself with like-minded investors, property managers, and contractors. They weren’t just business contacts—they had become friends.
So when the time came to slow down, I struggled with it.
In fact, my wife and I seriously discussed staying in Michigan.
Detroit had been good to us. The cost of living was low, our rentals were performing well, and we had achieved financial freedom.
We had to ask ourselves: Why not stay and keep building?
Ultimately, we decided to stick to our original plan. But making that call wasn’t easy.
Knowing When to Stop (or Just Slow Down)
For some investors, real estate is a lifelong pursuit. There’s always another deal, always another opportunity.
For me, real estate was a tool to get to a specific lifestyle. Once we reached our target, we shifted from rapid acquisition to optimization.
For example, we built an ADU at our primary home in California, which will generate additional income once we move back into our main house (currently under renovation).
So even though we stopped buying rentals, we never stopped improving our financial position.
Goals evolve, and ours shifted from growing as fast as possible to making the most of what we had built.
The Investors Who Never Stop
Some people never stop buying because they genuinely love it.
For them, real estate isn’t just about passive income or financial freedom—it’s about the thrill, the challenge, and the satisfaction of building something big.
They thrive on:
- Finding the next deal
- Scaling their portfolio to new heights
- The excitement of constant growth
There’s nothing wrong with that—as long as it aligns with your goals and motivations.
But for me, hitting a target changed my mindset.
Personality and Investing Style Matter
Another key factor in deciding when to stop is your investment personality.
Some investors are all-in on real estate because they don’t trust the stock market.
They like that real estate is tangible—something they can see, touch, and control. For those people, real estate will likely always be their primary investment vehicle.
For me, that’s not the case.
I love the stock market and enjoy trading.
That’s a huge reason why I don’t feel the same need to keep scaling my real estate portfolio.
If I wasn’t comfortable with stocks, I might still be buying aggressively.
Your comfort level with other investments will absolutely impact your decision on whether to keep growing your real estate portfolio.
Am I Really Done Buying?
Probably not.
I don’t feel a pressing need to add more doors right now, but I also know myself. If the right deal comes along, I might jump back in.
For now, my goals aren’t financial—they’re about enjoying what I’ve built and figuring out what comes next.
A couple of years of less stress and more flexibility sounds pretty appealing.
So, When Should You Stop Buying?
The answer is personal.
Some investors will keep going forever because they love the game.
Others, like me, had a target, pushed hard to reach it, and then shifted their focus.
There’s no right or wrong answer. But knowing your goal—and being intentional about when to stop—is key.