Deals

New Single-Family Rental Pitch: Want to Buy a Piece of a House?

  • Roofstock to market shares of homes for as little as $5,000
  • Firms want to sell more-sophisticated tools to small investors
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg
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Here’s a new proposition from a company that markets single-family rental homes to mom-and-pop investors: Want to buy a tenth of a house?

Roofstock is pitching a chance for those interested in the asset class to start small. The company will buy a home and put it in a trust, then sell stakes for as little as $5,000. The aim is to provide investors direct access to rental income -- and the tax benefits of owning commercial real estate -- while lowering the buy-in and eliminating inconveniences like having to carry a loan on their personal balance sheet.