Kristina Modares was eager to buy a home in Austin, TX, but the 25-year-old feared she wouldn’t qualify for the loan on her own. “That’s when my sister, Stefanie, offered to co-sign on the mortgage,” she says. With her sister’s help, Kristina was able to purchase her first property in this pricey market.

Since then, Kristina has continued her co-buying spree, purchasing a total of 10 homes with friends and family over the past decade. Her latest venture—a $455,000 beach house in Santa Rosa, FL, split with Stefanie—doubles as a spot for family reunions and a rental property. “When you pool your resources, it can open so many doors,” she explains. “I’ve built up so much net worth I could have never done on my own.”

Still, Kristina has learned that owning vacation homes with pals isn’t all sunset toasts and fond memories. One co-owner flaked on upkeep. Another wanted out entirely, leaving Kristina scrambling to line up a new partner. “A lot can go wrong,” she admits. That’s why she was relieved to discover Joynt.

Real estate’s new matchmakers

Software engineer Brett Humphrey was inspired to launch Joynt after his friends proposed purchasing a party house together. “Most of these conversations never make it out of the bar,” says Humphrey. “But I thought, wouldn’t it be great if they did? What if people could buy and share a house, but do it safely so it doesn’t ruin your relationships or your finances?”

Joynt provides guardrails for co-buyers and co-owners, including LLC and tenancy-in-common setups, joint expense accounts, shared scheduling tools, and structured voting systems to keep everyone aligned. Want to co-buy, but lack a willing partner? Platforms like Pairgap will match you with like-minded partners, and help you draft a “real estate prenup” if you decide to move forward.

“I got the idea from dating sites,” says Pairgap founder Nikki Merkerson, a New York City–based former mortgage banker. She purchased her first property—a $660,000 brownstone—with a co-worker who co-signed on the loan. “People thought I was crazy to do that, but I could have never afforded a home without him,” she says, adding that she has since bought out his 1% share.

Co-ownership, in other words, doesn’t need to last forever. While some buyers hope to pass these homes down to future generations, others see them as a practical stepping stone into an otherwise out-of-reach market. In either case, the key to a solid partnership is to communicate the tough topics up front. “Have all those ‘what if’ conversations,” Merkerson says. “Conflict is inevitable, and it can get nasty, so it’s best to get out in front of it.”

“You have to treat it like a business,” agrees Kristina. “If not, you’re in la-la land, like ‘owning this lake house together is going to be fun.’ Those moments definitely happen. But it can also leave you on the floor crying.”

Does your state favor tenants or landlords? SoldFast ranks New Jersey as the most tenant-friendly (lengthy eviction timelines, strong rent caps) and North Dakota as the most landlord-friendly (no rent control, quick evictions). The real question, though, is where your own state stands.

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Only in New York: Investors in the Big Apple say it makes more financial sense to keep certain apartments vacant due to this outrageous rental law.

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Neighbors call it “the scary house.” This Brooklyn landmark is both dilapidated and impressive, and it’s now for sale to anyone brave enough to make an offer after seeing the photos.

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Although most landlords stick to human tenants, Casey Nguyen learned that renting out her home to dogs can actually be more profitable. Here’s how this investor with eight rentals across three states turned her love of animals into the ultimate cash cow.

Q: How did you get the idea to rent your home to pets? “It started when my husband and I got our first puppy in 2015. Every time we tried taking our dog to public places, it felt stressful—too many dogs, inattentive owners, not always a clean or safe environment. We kept thinking there had to be a better way for dogs to socialize. That’s when I found Rover, where you can list your property to board dogs, cats, and other animals. We had a big house and yard in California, so it worked.”

Q: How did you begin? “We started at about $35 a night, hosting dogs in our home. At first, it was a couple hundred dollars here and there. Then we started making $1,000 to $2,000 a month. In 2024, we had seven, eight, nine dogs staying with us. That year, we made about $55,000. In 2025, after moving and closing for a few months due to travel, we still made $10,000. One of our long-term rentals in Texas made half that.”

Q: How does it compare to renting to people? “We’ve been lucky with good tenants. But dogs are easier. Dogs don’t complain. They don’t care about finishes. They just want to sit on the couch.”

Q: What advice would you give someone eager to try this? “This only works if you genuinely love dogs—or cats. If you go through Rover, they handle insurance and protections. At the end of the day, it’s still a people business, so you treat the dogs well and their parents.”

Q: Do you have a dog of your own? “Yes, a 10-year-old Pomeranian named Boyd. He doesn’t care for the other dogs; he just likes to sleep. But we like to joke that when our other dog, Romeo, passed away, Boyd probably thought Romeo just finally went home after a very long stay.”

Austin, TX, has long been a bustling boomtown for music, tech, and, more recently, real estate, which exploded during the Covid pandemic. But as that boom fizzles, what’s it like to invest in this market now? Here’s some straight talk with Cynthia Mattiza at Kuper Sotheby’s, who has 16 years of experience and multiple rental properties under her belt.

Average home price: $494,727 (Down 6.1% YoY)
Homes that sell over list price: 9.9%
Homes that sell under list price: 75.7%
Average rent: $1,526

Lay of the land: “I saw the recession in 2010, the boom in 2020, then the drastic impact of the interest rates in 2023 to 2025,” Mattiza says. “As we gear into 2026, our market is significantly healthier than it has been in the past few years. We are seeing properties with multiple offers again, and shorter days on market. We’re also seeing investors purchasing again due to the drop in rates and Austin’s robust tech economy and proximity to major universities.”

Her advice: “South Austin continues to be reliable, particularly for young professionals seeking turnkey homes with proximity to Downtown,” Mattiza says, adding that she owns a rental near the South Manchaca area, which is rich with breweries, restaurants, and nightlife. “I purchased that property in 2017 for $235,000, and it’s now valued in the mid-$500,000s. Each time it’s listed for lease, we receive multiple applications due to the location alone.”

Once these revelers start families, they head to West Austin. “Many families ‘test’ an area before buying,” she says. “We also see grandparents renting in neighborhoods where their families already live, so I look at single-story floorplans.” Mattiza recently purchased a house in Bee Cave (just west of Austin) that was previously listed for $625,000 and was reduced to $589,900. She closed for $548,050, invested around $50,000 in renovations, and then listed it for rent for $4,000 per month.