Should we rent first or buy right away when we relocate to the Twin Cities?
Answered by Chris Deutsch, Founder & Editor
Licensed Minnesota Realtor #20382264 ·
The short answer
If you've never lived here and your timeline allows it, renting for six to twelve months is often the smarter first move. You're not just picking a house — you're guessing at a life in a city you don't know yet.
On stage The 60-second answer
Captions on · Transcript below
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The longer answer
What that rental year buys: a real winter, a real commute, and the feel of neighborhoods across all four seasons instead of one sunny visit. What it costs: moving twice, and watching the market while you wait. Neither answer is free. The buyers who should skip the rental are the ones who already know their non-negotiables cold — or whose move is permanent, funded, and anchored to a known commute. The ones who shouldn't are guessing on every variable at once.
I'll tell you honestly which one you are, even though renting means I wait a year for the sale. DM me RELOCATE and we'll talk it through.
The next department over
What people in this spot usually ask next.
- Relocation to the Twin CitiesIs there a best time of year to move to the Twin Cities?Read the answer
- Relocation to the Twin CitiesCan we close on the house before we actually move?Read the answer
- Relocation to the Twin CitiesWe just found out we're moving to the Twin Cities. Where do we even start?Read the answer
- Relocation to the Twin CitiesWe're moving from Texas to Minnesota and I've never owned a snow shovel. Are we crazy?Read the answer
- Divorce & separationI'm divorcing in my 50s. Should I buy again or rent for a while?Read the answer
- Senior transitionsI live out of state. How do I manage my mother's move from 1,200 miles away?Read the answer
From the editor's desk
“As Founder and Editor, I review, correct, and stand behind every answer.”
Is your situation more specific than the market? That's the one worth talking through.