Investing

Roofstock Review

Overall Ranking

5/5

Overview

Features

5/5

Ease of Use

5/5

Fees

4.5/5

Customer Support

5/5

Investment properties come with a lot of maintenance. Where should you buy? Are you getting a fair price? What about renters? You can get answers to all of these questions and more under one roof… Roofstock. Here’s our full review.

Editor's Note

You can trust the integrity of our balanced, independent financial advice. We may, however, receive compensation from the issuers of some products mentioned in this article. Opinions are the author's alone. This content has not been provided by, reviewed, approved or endorsed by any advertiser, unless otherwise noted below.

The importance of investing money for higher future returns isn’t stressed enough in almost any society. Our education system places great emphasis on subjects like science, math, history, and geography. However, education related to the issue of investment gets largely ignored.

According to a report by GoBankingRates, half of the U.S. population is at risk of going broke because they have less than $10,000 in retirement savings. Even those who realize the importance of investing don’t always know how and where to put their hard-earned money to get a return.

Banks may seem like a safe and viable option, but safety often means low returns when it comes to money, and that’s often the case with banks as they dish out single-digit return rates. However, in the age of the internet where everything becomes accessible with just one click, investing has been made easy.

In this article, we’ll talk about one of the most secure avenues of investment in the market–real estate. Since most of us probably have no prior market experience, you may be wondering how you can invest thousands of dollars feeling safe and secure about your investment.

Enter Roofstock. Below is a detailed review of this exciting new platform.

Related: Beginner’s Guide to Real Estate Investing

So What Exactly Is Roofstock?

Roofstock is an online platform that connects buyers and sellers of single-family home units. It’s a digital investment platform that allows you to buy rental homes online with no hassle.

A key component of their business model is that houses can change owners without the tenants having to leave the property. This means when you buy a rental property through Roofstock, you may have tenants in place that are already occupying the property and paying rent.

You must be wondering “how can I trust the validity of the listed properties?”

Just to show you how thorough the process is, below are some requirements that certified properties have to meet.

  • A house inspection performed by a licensed third-party home inspection firm
  • A detailed examination of the local property market and estimated rental costs

In some cases, a 3D tour of the house is available.

What Makes It So Different?

Roofstock offers an alternative method for real estate investment that’s more convenient than the conventional method. You don’t have to hire a realtor, visit different properties, or if the property is already leased, find reliable tenants.

It might be easy to confuse Roofstock’s concept for a real estate crowdfunding platform. Most crowdfunding platforms involve investing cash in a tiny piece of a development project with a timeline attached to it.

But an investor working with Roofstock actually owns the property right away, no strings attached. It’s merely a more accessible and cheaper way of buying rental property without the usual hassle. Many Roofstock properties can generate cash for their owner from day one as they already have renters living on the property.

Roofstock Key Features

  • Free to join: In an increasingly money-minded world, it's hard for free stuff to come by. One of the best features of Roofstock is that they let you join for free so you can look for your next investment ASAP.
  • User-friendly platform: The website is easy to use even for users who are not tech-savvy. The searching model is simple and allows investors to browse through different properties, choosing the one which meets their requirements.
  • Efficiency: Roofstock oversees the purchase transaction for you.
  • 30-day guarantee: The website states that every property comes with a 30-day guarantee. If you find the property not up to your standards or feel buyer’s remorse, you have almost a month from the closing date to ask for a refund. This guarantee comes with certain specifications such as no significant changes to the property. However, the website promises to sell your investment within 90 days, or they will repurchase it themselves. This is a rare commitment that is made by almost no other player in the investment market.

How Does Roofstock Work?

Roofstock has a team which has a wealth of experience behind them in building and managing real estate, especially in the rental space. Networking and contacts are a significant advantages in the real estate market.

A Guide for Buyers

The buyer’s journey on Roofstock begins in the search area where you can browse through properties based on your desired location, return, and more.

After choosing a property, you can view detailed specifications and documents about the house. The documents may include:

  1. Pricing Appraisal
  2. Title Report
  3. Tenant lease and payment history, if available
  4. Inspection report, if available

The first two points are easily understandable and act as a support for the listing price. The inspection part is what sets Roofstock apart.

The inspection analysis covers many details, no matter how big or small. The full report is approximately 12 to 15 pages long, depending on the property. Additional pictures and descriptions are also included where deemed necessary.

The report aims to familiarize investors with the property before buying it. The company wants no nasty post-purchase surprises awaiting their clients.

The next step of the process is the checkout area. Here you’ll be presented with two options; ‘Buy Now’ and ‘Negotiate.’

In the ‘Buy Now’ option, you’ll pay the full-listed price and the property is taken off the website and reserved for you till a company representative calls you with further instructions.

When you select the ‘Negotiate’ option, you get to make an offer and see if it gets accepted.

Roofstock Pricing Structure

The company has a straightforward pricing structure in place. Instead of charging up to 6%, that some market realtors charge, Roofstock charges sellers a 3% fee or $2,500 (whichever is greater).

For buyers, the fee is 0.5% or $500, whichever amount is greater. Registration on the site is free.

Financing a Purchase

One of the most challenging tasks facing a young investor is the question of capital. Where to find money for the purchase?

Roofstock can refer you to a lender that has experience in providing mortgages on rental properties.

Investment properties often require larger down payments and have higher interest rates.

A higher upfront capital payment and higher interest rates indicate that lenders consider investment properties a more significant risk when compared to mortgages for traditional homes.

Customer and After-Sales Service

Most customers who purchased properties on Roofstock came back primarily due to their stable team.

Within 24 hours of choosing the ‘Buy Now’ option, you are contacted by a representative who guides you through the next steps involved to complete the transaction and gain ownership.

Customers reported it as one of the most straightforward transactions they ever did for becoming the owners of a rent-paying property. Buyers far away from the properties also reported on the ease of doing business. Purchasing a listed property involves these steps:

  1. Make an offer
  2. Pay the market fee
  3. Sign the purchase contract
  4. Transfer the earnest money
  5. Obtain financing, if required
  6. Review home inspection reports
  7. Close on the property

Pros and Cons

  • Owning a real property: Unlike most real estate platforms where you own part of the project or just sit on empty houses, Roofstock offers rental properties nationwide. Investing in real estate can provide an excellent return on investment while giving you an additional revenue stream.

  • Joining Roofstock is free: You don't have to pay anything to join the site. All properties are available to browse without even creating an account. However, to get more details regarding any desired properties, an account is needed. This shouldn’t be a problem since creating one is free.

  • Ease of transaction: Visiting each potential property estimating their value, doing a market analysis and seeking good tenants are demanding tasks. Roofstock just requires you to pick a property through their website and make a bid online. Even filling out the required documentation is online.

  • The 30-day, money-back guarantee for certified homes: If the property isn't up to your standards or you are not happy with it, you can apply for a refund within 30 days. Doing so means they will put the property back in the market for 180 days till which time you must maintain it. After 180 days, if no one makes a bid, Roofstock buys the property from you. You get the full purchase price of the property.

  • Positive cash flow from day one: Unlike house flipping that requires additional capital on top of the purchase price, many Roofstock homes are already rented. You may see positive cash flow from the time of purchase.


  • Large down payment: Like any other house, you can apply for financing. However, lenders usually require a sizable down payment of 20 to 30% for homes that are not the owner’s primary residence.

  • Large capital upfront: Any property purchase results in a massive outflow of cash. Investing in real estate is always capital intensive as you need to pay the market price for a whole house.

  • Highly illiquid: Rental property is much easier to buy than to sell. You are purchasing an entire home in exchange for cash, and the property needs to be sold before getting the money back. Rental properties are long haul investments, and it takes months to sell a house.

  • You'll need cash for rainy days: Homeowners are primarily responsible for general maintenance and upkeep of the property. Renters expect a broken dishwasher to be fixed the same day. You have to have cash on hand to carry out such unexpected repairs.

Roofstock Alternatives

For other venues of investments that require less capital, investors can turn to REITs. A real estate investment trust (or REIT) is a business that purchases real estate to generate income from it. They are modeled after mutual funds and allow you to get a piece of commercial or residential property for meager amounts.

A riskless but lesser return for an investor is found in government and company-issued bonds. They usually provide bond bearers with a stable form of income not far from the interest rate issued by the Federal Reserve.

Related: Bonds vs. Stocks Which is Riskier?

Who Should Use Roofstock?

This can be anyone who wants to buy real estate but doesn’t have the time required for diligence. You won’t even have to visit the property in person to make sure everything holds up.

People who want tenants but don’t know where to find good renters can also use Roofstock. Most properties on the website already contain renters.

People who want to invest in the 21 states Roofstock holds property in will also find the website a reliable source for discovering investment opportunities.

Bottom Line

Overall, we love Roofstock as a new investment option. It does require more money up-front, but the pros far outweigh the cons. You used to have to find properties on your own, go see them, buy them, rent them out, and manage the property. Now you can do all of that with a few clicks online. Check out Roofstock if you want to diversify your portfolio today.

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