I was a guest on the Joe Fairless Podcast, how I got started, and a bit about turnkeys and trench drains
Author: Lane
Podcast #012 – I Bought 9 Properties In 5 Months Via 1031 Exchange
Link to ULTIMATE SPC 1031 GUIDE
Link to ULTIMATE SPC TAX GUIDE
Learn how/why I got out my high priced Seattle (Appreciation) market and into 9 Properties In 5 Months Via 1031 Exchange
Today ends a 9 property, 5 month, buying spree that started back in October 2015 with the sale of my subject Seattle portfolio. I did not know what to call these shenanigans and simply calling it a 1031 did not do it justice. Therefore I will name this feat a “1031-O-Rama” which is inspired by the good old 2008 days where one could apply for a bunch of credit cards with 0% interest. All of you are Real Estate investors and sticking money into a high-interest rewards checking account is kiddie stuff so if you’re ready to go gangbusters here we go…
From 2010-2015, my rentals in Seattle were cash flowing each with 400-600 a month (after vacancy/capex/repairs…), but it was because I bought these properties at the right time so when I tried to buy again in 2015 or early as 2012, prices would not cashflow with typical 20% down financing. My rentals were A+ class and were below the 0.5% Rent to Value Ratio… so amateur, I know. I think everyone would agree that like SF, Seattle has seen great appreciation over the past few years due to the influx of foreign money and tech companies. As a real estate investor you need to always be looking at the numbers and in this case the Return of Deployable Equity (ROE=your sales price minus commissions minus current mortgage balance). By sitting on so much “Lazy Money” in the form of equity I was making less than 5 percent in terms of ROE (The IRR metric is when you buy, the ROE is to evaluate the performance once you are in operation). If the ROE is less than 8 percent/year you are better off in the stock market even though I am not a fan of stocks/mutual funds. Let’s face it, rentals have some risks such as unexpected capital expenses, legal liability, and the low level of overall “PITA” (Pain in the butt). Since 5% < 8%, I needed to re-position my money. Now if this were a Las Vegas movie (funny how appreciation is like gambling) I would be grabbing my chips from the craps table, cashing out at the money cage, and retreating up to my room with my winnings and a beer/pizza.
In the end, I traded two properties via two 1031s that cash flowed a total of $1,000 a month for 10 properties that cash flowed over $3,000 a month (after expenses, vacancy, turn over, capital expenses, and property management). Now I beckon the recession to come because I have more than enough buffer in each individual rental to lower my rents by a couple hundred dollars and since pay the mortgage. A mentor of mine told me that the risk is not the interest rate or amount of debt but the lack of buffer in the spread between your rent, expenses, and mortgage.
Throughout the lending process, I know there must be clones of me with all the DNA samples the lenders/underwriters needed from me (well not really) but it’s a huge PITA to go through the Fannie Mae loan process and execute on multiple loans.You think Fannie loan #1-4 is tough, #5-10 is another level. At any one time I had parallel processes of purchases sale agreements pending, inspections, re-negotiation, inspection punch list, property management interviews and setup, contractor logistics, etc. What a mess. A lot of lenders will recommend that you cross-collateralize your investments so you can get more Fannie Mae loan (max as of now is 10) but I don’t think it should be used in all situations. Remember that loan guy gets paid whenever you originate a loan so of course they are going to recommend it. Also the Fannie Mae loans aren’t really that much better than a portfolio loan…just saying (I can expand on this later in a different article).
On a couple of the properties (#6 of 9 and #9 of 9) I actually didn’t really want them because of things I found in the due-diligence process but I had to close because they were on my “45-day Identified Property List”. I could walk from the deal, but I would have to pay taxes on my unused 1031 funds. The business decision was that it was better to overpay by $6,000 and get the property than have no property and pay the government 25% of $30,000. If you are considering this madness, try not to let your sellers know what you are doing because I got bamboozled by sellers since they knew I had nothing else on my 45-day list of potential properties and HAD to close.
People say that the 180-day deadline is difficult but I would argue that only being able to purchase properties off your 45 day list (period after your subject property closes) is the biggest hurdle and should be really pondered over. A good best practice is to line up your purchase and sale agreement for new acquisition(s) when you are 1-2 weeks before your scheduled closing date so when that date comes…boom you have 5 purchase and sale agreements executed and you are off and running on 45 day closes.
Who did I buy from? I can write about this later in more detail on my site but I had to work with 4 agents/turnkey providers. But here is where I bought one in 2014 and basically had my proof of concept before I went balls to the wall on this stuff.
Now I am so relieved to be out of the roller coaster high appreciation Seattle market and in boring appreciation markets. I know that a few years from now someone will read this note that Seattle properties have gone up 2x in value. However, I’m totally content with my passive cashflow portfolio AKA just chillin’ with my yes… that beer and pizza back in the hotel room watching the movie “The Big Short”.
PS: Now I know a lot of folks will say that I have bought lukewarm deals and yea I agree. But all I know is that it’s a lot better than the stock market and they were good deals for a passive investor/level of effort to obtain them not being an active investor. Other side notes.
For more cool pics check out my website and for the kiddos out there with the attention span of 5 seconds or less there is Pinterest and Instagram.
Also a link to more 1031 exchange tips and tricks.
Podcast #11 – BiggerPockets Forums Warning
When I first got started in rental real estate in 2009, finding like minded people to get me motivated to invest out of my home state and referrals to be able to know who to work with was critical. I did use the Bigger Pockets forums back them and found a lot of folks in my Hui network and friends. I also was introduced to shady people who took my money 🙁
The BiggerPockets forum is a great recourse but I like many higher net worth investors eventually find them tiring and mostly lower net worth wholesellers, flippers, or much more active investors.
Today I have over 4,200 rental units but when I started had no real relationship. Here is more about me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDdD9HHXTn4
That brings up the *Time-Money-Experience* triangle. I know that there are a lot more experienced folks who have the ability to find 2-3% rent to value deals and do magical things. Again I have a full-time job that I make a good salary and I enjoy going to for the most part (I get free coffee there).
BiggerPockets is a great resource tool, however there is a nuance on the forums that I call the #BPBP Syndrome (the BiggerPockets Bi-Polar Syndrome). What I mean is that the vocal folks on the forums are very active saying and they can do much better deals. Real Estate is their job and they are damn good at it. I am a passive investor who has limited time to source screaming deals and just needs to place my money and quit screwing around on the sidelines. I believe folks like myself who are passive investors like myself are actually the (quiet) majority of folks on BiggerPockets.
What active and passive investors can all agree is that real estate is the best investment vehicle out there. What I love about it is that even when I buy these “lukewarm” deals I still reach my goals (4x) faster than the stock market.
#BPBP Syndrome
Here is what got me fired up so much.
Save
Save
Podcast #10 – Hack Real Estate With Abundance Mindset
If you are holding deals close to your chest or not giving to your so-called competitors. You need to operate with an Abundance Mindset. Plus it’s no fun to do this on your own.
Essential Real Estate Investing Books And Business Books (Podcast #9)
Would you like to join our Book Club? Join here
See all real estate books here
If I were starting out investing here are the Fab Four Books and Trifecta of Business Books that everyone should read before making a purchase:
Books – In this order
1) Rich Dad Poor Dad
2) Millionaire Real Estate Investor
3) Cashflow Quadrant
4) Equity Happens
Business Books
1) 4-hour workweek
2) E-Myth
3) Think And Grow Rich (read this again and again, all the Gurus such as Tony Robbins and Jim Rohn regurgitate ideas in this book)
It’s important to note that reading anymore is just overkill. Don’t be that ‘Shelf’-help guy or use the crux “oh I need to read and get more educated”. You need to step up and take action how many freaking books are you going to read? Many Fortune-500 Human Resources departments use the theory of 70-20-10 in developing employees which apply here. 70% is learned by doing, 20% learned from peers, and 10% is academic/book/classroom training.
Link to my favorite Business Books:
Link to my favorite Real Estate Books:
Below is another rendition of the same theory. This also explains why after a few years of doing this podcast and helping others get started by modeling the way has accelerated my own growth.
Tim Ferris talks about the $100,000 MBA, where you don’t really go to school but you jump right in with your business/investment. This method may lead you to operate at a loss but you will have far more experience than getting that silly $100,000+ MBA degree from some brick and mortar school.
And a word on real estate training: Why would someone want to spend $20-30K on training when that alone is a down payment on a cashflowing property that you can learn through doing and make 300-400 a month cashflow. Heck, you could even buy an overpriced 2nd tier turnkey property and get your education that way too.
SPC GET ‘ER DONE PLAN:
- Read these books
- Keep yourself accountable. As Arnold says, “stop being a whiny baby [and Do IT]”.
Link to original BiggerPockets Forum post
Please note that some of the links found on this website are affiliate links. And at no additional cost to you, paid by the seller, I will earn a commission if you decide to purchase which helps pays for the various costs of running this website. Please understand that I have previously used these products. Do not feel the need to purchase these products but if you do please use these links. If you have any additional questions on how I optimize the use of these products please let me know.
Podcast #8 – Three Ways To Calculate Cap – Expenditures… So You Don’t Get Screwed A Year Into The Future
Are you aware of Cap-Ex or Capital Expenses the big unknown in your deal analysis spreadsheet. Learn 3 ways to calculate Cap-Ex… So You Don’t Get Screwed a Year Into The Future
Blog article with all the charts. Sign up for the e-newsletter with your email to get the Cap-Ex spreadsheet.
Podcast #6 – The Key Take Away From the Board Game “Settlers of Catan”
Why the heck are we talking about, a board game?
When people in the very final stages of their life were asked, “what they regretted,” the response that often came up was that they wished they ‘played’ more. (Also in the top responses was a regret of spending so much time at work) The point is, although we are making investments and working hard, we should not forget to ‘play’ or have fun. I had a friend that played hours of video game baseball. Other than the fact that nobody plays baseball on video games, I always gave him crap. Now a little wiser, I realize that he was right… it made him happy and that was important (Side note: I do not condone mindless World of Warcraft addictions). Read on for the second lesson from this board game.
For the past decade, one award-winning board game called “Settlers of Catan”, has built up a huge, cult-like following, garnering hundreds of 5-Star reviews on Amazon and played by normal people unlike the Magic Gathering Card game or Dungeons and Dragons. In other words, females play this game and guys, who could probably save their lives by throwing a football play it too. If you have not heard of this game then you probably have never heard of BiggerPockets.com and you live under a rock. The strategy-intensive game, is intended to last less than 45 minutes. During that time, players collect resources and use them to build roads, settlements, and cities on their way to victory.
Check out this well made 4 minute documentary on the game.
The board game presents players with many decisions that parallel those facing many experienced real estate investors. In Settlers of Catan, there are 5 resources which include sheep, lumber, ore, brick, and grain. In the beginning of the game, sheep and wood are sought after, whereas in the dramatic ending of the game, ore is needed to lock in a win. Side note – I actually have a t-shirt that says “Nobody wants your F-ing Sheep” because as a typical occurrence in every game there is always one unfortunate player who is lagging behind and still trying to peddle their surplus of sheep.
The life cycle of an investor starts with typical equity building with rentals that utilize leverage (sheep/wood) and progress to larger deals (brick/grain). As the investor reaches the second half of their progression and surpassed the “critical point” where they have amassed enough equity build-up to live off their “dividends,” the investor will look to convert their portfolio to a more cash flowing portfolio via de-leveraged rentals, private lending, or notes (ore in Settlers of Catan). This stage is often called the end-game strategy. So often I see newbie investors with low cashflow/low assets with shiny object syndrome and want to get into notes or land contracts because that happened to be what Guru seminar they attended.
So if you don’t care about this fricking game and skipped ahead to the conclusion here it is. Whatever path you take in investing keep the end in mind… the end game… the goal. Have a series of if/then exit strategies in mind with everything you invest in. A few examples:
- A lot of people talk to me and say that they are tired of investing for appreciation and want to go for 100% cashflow to hold on to indefinitely. Having a few years of experience I realize that nothing is forever and things happen. Those investments that you bought, might have gone up in value 20% and it makes sense to cash out or you find another investment that is so much sweeter. But at the time of purchase, you did not think of these potential decisions when you bought the low 40k homes or a duplex/triplex/quad that are inherently harder to sell to a retail buyer as your exit strategy. Perhaps buying a higher price single family home would have been a better way to go (forgoing optimum cashflow).
- You have that meeting with a lawyer who sells you on this elaborate corporate structure but it might be a bit overkill since your dreams of building a 50 home portfolio transitions to other investments.
- You waste your time and money creating a small network of contractors to serve as part-time staff to service your 3 duplexes in the area. However, now it looks like you should sell and you wasted all that sweat equity in creating that system.
- You heard about the wonders of the Self-Directed IRA from a local Real Estate meeting and rush out to make the conversion and deploy your cash into a Real Estate notes. Now you realize that you have lost your leveraging ability but more importantly you are unable to use your IRA as cash reserves to get Fannie Mae loans.
SPC Git Er’ Done Action Plan:
- Don’t let this article give you an excuse for analysis paralysis, but inspire you to find that mentor who can help. You will never know all there needs to know by yourself.
- If you have implemented your Real Estate plan and looking for something fun to do, go out and enjoy life and buy this game! (Help support the site buy via Amazon affiliate link)
Podcast #5 – Buying an Out of State Turn Key Investment Property
A lot of people have been asking for an expose’ of the turnkey investing world, so and here it is. Remember, buying the property is only part of the battle, but efficient operation and systems are what make it work. So please subscribe for good times and stories with SimplePassiveCashflow.com!
Passive Versus Active Investing
The real estate universe is split up into two camps, ‘passive’ and ‘active’ roles. Check out this overview article discussing this. And taking BiggerPockets with a Grain of Salt.
Turnkey Investing Defined
Turnkey investing is a form of passive investing. The definition of turnkey (TK) investing at the very least is buying a property from a seller called the Turnkey Provider (TKP) that is rent ready. The TKP typically does a rehab of the major components (roof, floor, plumbing, electrical, paint with sturdy tenant grade materials, such as no carpet, no garbage disposals, laminate flooring. etc). The TKP may purchase these at a discount with a part of their company made up of wholesalers or auction buyers to buy the properties at a discount. Also, the TKP may have property management in-house to manage it for a fee after the sale is complete. The TKP may fill the property with a tenant prior to closing the sale – although this verifies the market rents, there is no safeguard that prevents the TKP to just sticking a warm body in there. A lot of buyers like the fact that the TKP is vertically integrated because if the property does not perform you know who to go after. I personally don’t see the advantage of having a vertically integrated TKP as a clear-cut benefit since it brings up the potential for conflicts of interest. For example, if the TKP has a property management side, the property management can cover up shortcomings in the rehab.
“Hey, property management Paul, why is my property getting these 100 dollar repairs like every month?”
“Well, I don’t know it was an excellent rehab (done by my company) so it must be that dang tenant again.” says Paul.
My opinion of “vertically integrated” is that they do everything but also suck at everything… Rather than having a jack of all trades, wouldn’t you want an ace at every position?
How Do I Buy?
In every market (say Birmingham) there are typically two TKPs who are perennial good outfits. And that third TKP seat is constantly being indicted by some sort of FBI investigation… I’m just being funny. But this is where things get tricky from an outsider’s perspective. Who are the good guys and who are the fly by night operations? Good question! My best answer is to use references of disinterested parties – which are different from the uninterested friends/family/negative Nancy’s/nervous Ned’s.
Out of this pain-point, a middle-man layer called the “marketers” have arisen. These are the guys who typically do not live in the local market (most likely California) but do a good job at finding most of the reputable sellers. The marketers put on Meet-ups, podcasts, webinars, troll BiggerPockets, and find buyers who are looking for real estate in their portfolio. The trouble is, they are not doing these services for free, and you as the buyer will pay for it via a markup to the property one way or another. But overall the system works well. The TKP (small company) is good at what they do and are able to focus on finding distressed property and rehabbing. The TKP utilizes the Marketer to sell the inventory and create a profitable business based on volume.
There are some very reputable TKPs out there, but the trouble is sometimes they have so much demand for their product they can charge their buyers (you) a premium price. Pair this with the marketers bringing in lazy money in the form of inexperienced investor itching to get into real estate creates a micro sellers market. Some TKPs have buyer queues where you wait for a property and you have a limited amount to time to buy it or it gets moved on (to the next sucker). These scarce sales tactics are not a place you want to be. Another trick is that a TKP may require you pay cash for a property which basically takes away your ability to do your due-diligence on the property. I always buy with an appraisal contingency and inspection contingency to protect myself. Some will offer guaranteed rents or warranties which are seemingly good but could also mean that the TKP is just buying a $500/year insurance policy so you buy their property and they plan on just using the outside insurance to pay your inevitable claim. I’m going to stop there before I scare folks too much, but these are some of the pitfalls of working directly with the TKP seller (after all Real Estate is their profession).
A lot of folks jump on BiggerPockets and search or post on “Turnkey” and they will get bombarded by vendors being super helpful. I don’t know about you but I have never gone to the bar and been given free beers by other helpful patrons. Well if that’s the feeling you’re getting when you networking on BiggerPockets, make sure you background check who you’re direct messaging with. How are they getting paid? The folks you want to listen to (yes actually have rentals) and merely want to help out another Bro. I’ve used a marketer before but I did not get any value and I will not do it again, especially since it is not hard to find all the reputable sellers with a little bit of digging.
I mentioned two ways to buy a TK (TKP and Marketer) that both have their pros and cons. A third hybrid method that I have employed is to work with a licensed agent that helps you source properties and find your own construction crews to rehab the property. I have mixed opinions about this because it is a bit more work (especially being remote) and the agent is typically ignorant to what components make a good rental. An agent can find you a property that is priced well, however, they will not have the knowledge that an experienced rehabber or TKP will have (sturdy tenant grade materials such as no carpet, no garbage disposals, laminate flooring). So it’s a bit more risk/reward in the end if that’s your cup of tea or should I say Simple Passive Cashflow Latte. What has worked for me is not going with a marketer (due to absurd markup), but using a combination of off-market agents that have a Fiduciary responsibility to represent me and also working directly with the TKP for the best pricing once I had the experience of purchasing 3-5 properties and overpaying along the way.
Why the heck doesn’t the TKP just hold on to the property for themselves?
As stated earlier, the TKP does what they do well. They have the teams and market knowledge to do this efficiently. They could hold on the property but they have chosen to make profits on the volume business since they make their money by managing their multiple crews, essentially they are running a business. If you find a good TKP hopefully you get to partake in some of these efficiencies. But don’t be entitled as a TK buyer. You are not doing any work and frankly you deserve the market rate.
Which class, property value range, would be best to put on the buying list?
This is ultimately up to your investing strategy and criteria. For me to tell you what is the best is irresponsible and against what I believe because you should understand the macro (not micro) concepts for yourself and make your own best individual strategy. With that disclaimer out of the way, I personally went (my strategy changes per my overall portfolio) after B/B+ properties that rented for at least $1000 per month and had at least 3 bed and 2 bath. Some things to think of when finding your strategy/criteria:
- Although I have full intention to hold on to these properties indefinitely for cashflow, recognize that things change and perhaps I might want to trade in 1 “goose that lays the golden egg” for 2 or 3 “geese that lay the golden egg” or 1 “big ass goose that yea you get the point”. To say “I’m making cashflow” is a fallacy… what do the numbers say on the bottom of the spreadsheet and compare the two situations you are evaluating. You should always be making moves to optimize your return assuming it warrants the transaction costs.
- I was using Fannie Mae loans which are those sweet government subsidized 30-year fixed loans. At the time of this writing (5/2016) the most one person can have is 10 to their name. Your plan might be to only get one or two homes and sail off into the sunset but your plan might change and you have to change your plan for the “if” in life. To acquire a conventional Fannie/Freddie non-owner occupied property requires 20-25% down payment. There are also lender costs which I typically estimate at $5000 +/- $1000. Parts of the lender costs are variable such as an origination loan (basically it’s their fee to have to deal with you and headaches you cause them) that is a certain percentage (~1%) of the final loan that changes from lender to lender so this is something you are comparing. Other parts of the lender costs are fixed costs such as inspection costs, credit reports, and appraisal fees. It is these fixed costs that are the same whether you buy a $40K property or a $140K property. This is one reason I personally went after a more expensive property.
- By buying 50K properties that rent for $800 you’re like “Hey that’s awesome that’s a 1.6+% Rent to Value Ratio”. But I suggest reading my article about the nuances of the RV Ratio and property classes.
- Remember the goal is to maximize the profit which is the rent minus expenses. Folks get wrapped around all these metrics but do not forget the goal.
- This is totally my strategy but please think for yourself: When I was getting started I went for the higher priced properties (Not the A properties cause there is no cashflow in those). I went for properties that rent for 1100 that I could get for 100K. I would say these were B+ properties (Note: do not take the seller’s definition). My strategy was to find low hassle properties that had better tenants and properties that I could easily liquidate because they were close to the median home. There is a bit contradiction here because yes they were safer in terms of tenant quality and exit strategy but the cashflow buffer was less so I had less ability to lower rents in a market downturn. Now that I have a stronger base in terms of teams, money, and knowledge I try to go for more C properties because I feel I have the experience and risk tolerance for it (although I stated that these could be safer in terms of the buffer in the cashflow).
I am selling my home for 600k, I want to invest out of state for cash flow 200/month cash each door?
Before you do anything make sure TK investing is for you don’t just jump in cause I like it. However, I think that your per door $200 assumption is in line. There is a difference if you are buying $60K properties or $120K properties but either way, I think you will be beating the averages of the stock market and that is why I do what I do.
This is how it is going to work if you choose to sell and do a 1031 exchange. First, you sell the home for $600k (~10% will go to commissions etc) so you are left with $540K. This is how much you have to acquire or there are tax penalties so if you are looking at $90K properties you are going to need to pick up 6 of them. Your cash in your 1031 will be $540k minus your remaining mortgage. You can bring cash out of pocket to make up any shortcomings. Check out this article for more info on some 1031 issues and strategies.
Other Passive Investing options (REITS & Crowdfunding):
Passive turnkey (TK) investing is a slow way to building long term wealth. My track record in the macro sense is to put down $30K to control a $100K property that rents for a tad over $1000 a month. From that $30K down, I create about $200-300 a month in cashflow or $3000 a year per property. If those of you at home are plotting the day when you leave your job and take over the world, 20 homes would get you about $60K in passive income a year (tax-free) which would require about $300k of down payments.
A lot of smart people dabble in REITs or Crowdfunding deals, but typically it is the operator taking most of the profits off the top. Ideally, if you have the ability to, you want to be in control and be the operator if the numbers make sense. REITs and Crowdfunding deals are just like stock/mutual funds- you do not own the hard asset, and you are at the mercy of the operator to run it like a business and not take business trips to Las Vegas “Conventions” as a business expense. Moreover, most of the time, you also miss out on the tax benefits, such as depreciation. Isn’t this the reason why you want out of the stock/mutual funds in the first place? Plus who the heck knows how Stocks are priced? As if that wasn’t enough, most crowdfunding platforms (at least for now) require that you be an accredited investor. Most of you starting out won’t qualify.
Here are a few of links with actual portfolio analysis of these Crowdfunding methods in action:
http://www.mymoneyblog.com/patch-of-land-real-estate-final.html
Why go through all this trouble of a rental?
As in the above Crowdfunding links, the returns range from 6-12%. These returns suck. I mean it’s good for an institutional investor or someone with a gazillion dollars, however, I look for cash-on-cash returns of ~10% and total gains, or IRR (Internal Rate of Return), of ~20-40% per year.
For my info on total gains see this article: How We Make Money with Real Estate & the Hidden Returns
Here are some questions I often receive from readers:
- Are you visiting these locations at any frequency and for the initial purchases, or are you able to have enough trust and working relationship with other professional resources at those locations?
- I’m interested in a few out of state markets while trying to better understand what acquisition and management options are realistic. Ideally, I’d prefer not to travel.
- Hey, can you help me get started? Can you give me your providers?
I could do that, but that would be doing you a huge disservice because you will not be properly educated. Use these people as your educators.
Here is what I would do:
Link to SPC014 – 22 Questions explained
Find at least 6-10 turnkey dealers via googling turnkey rentals. You can also look online at Bigger Pockets, as many, though not all, turnkey companies have a presence there. Call each and every one of them, and get a dialogue going. Then, ask them the following questions (but not all of them… don’t be a machine, build a relationship:
- Can you break down the structure of your company for me?
- Tell me how your process works from start to finish.
- What does “turnkey” mean with your company?
- Will there be a tenant in place before I close on the property?
- Can I use the financing to purchase the property?
- Do you own properties close to the one you’re selling to me?
- Is the home required to pass inspection and appraisal before I close?
- Can I hire my own appraiser before closing on the property?
- Do you use other companies to help you provide turnkey properties?
- What is your role in the sale of the turnkey properties?
- Who owns the homes?
- Who rehabs the homes?
- Am I expected to pay for the rehab?
- Who are the “boots on the ground” in these areas? Are you talking to the actual guy who manages the crews or just their sales person who never leaves the
- Who manages the properties after the sale?
- How long have you been in business for?
- Is their a warranty on the property after the sale?
- Can I see a scope of work with expenses for one of your rehabs?
- How many properties are generally in your inventory month by month? (The more properties means better economies of scale but can also mean more bloat and more competition from other buyers)
- What sets you apart from other turnkey companies?
- What are some mistakes you make when you started out, and how are you doing those things differently now?
Why Screw Around with Rental Real Estate when I can just do REITS and those really cool crowdfunding sites? Because these REITs are middle men. Work directly!
The Biggest Kept Secret – Hidden Returns of Rental Real Estate
SPC Git Er’ Done Action Plan:
- Sit down, take 10 minutes, and create 60 day action plan.
- If you are a bit overwhelmed I made a simple Excel Gantt chart showing the steps to purchase a property with all the due diligent checklists. I’d like to share it, so take a screenshot of your itunes review and email me with your 60 day action plan and “Gantt Chart” in the subject line. Lane@simplepassivecashflow.com
Podcast #4 – Buy All Cash or with Leverage
Do not buy properties all cash. I don’t care even if you are in the endgame part of your strategy. The real risk in having so much equity in your properties. The real security is having cashflow.
The (RV Ratio) Rent-to-Value Ratio: 1st Step in Deal Analysis
When you’re considering buying a real estate property or looking into the real estate market, either you’ll live in it (primary residence) or make it a rental property (investment property), do you take into account any metric that will streamline your decision-making?
Visualize Tinder.
Yes, the dating app!
When you look upon people to hook up with, you already have qualifications in mind that you’re considering. Correct?
The same goes for real estate. Remember, the real estate market is huge! The rent-to-value ratio must be your first step in evaluating a real estate investment. When real estate property didn’t pass rent to value ratio metric, either you let go of that real estate and move on to the next, or if you decide to buy, you might end up hooking up like chalk and cheese then you’ll start having a “cold relationship” with your property.
Let’s dig a little deeper!
Using price to rent ratio to identify investments
These are the terms used by real estate investors when trying to find investments. (Purchase price and value have the same context.) These people have ways to go before they can make any sense with real, tangible investment. They have an opportunity to find investments that are worthy much more than the purchase price and the number of houses they own.
In this case, their money is just, for some reason, not worth much. As expressed by investors, the rent ratio is the percentage of receiving rent (can be annual rent) on the sale of a property.
The Rent-to-value ratio can be found using the evaluation of the value of the property as a key to identifying investment compared to buying a home or house. Now, of course, as it is being developed, the rent ratio is important to this analysis.
The rent ratio can estimate the number of members of a community or city that receives rent during a month or set period (annual rent), for example, the number of people in the area that receive average rent for a service or difference in one’s price. It is available for every month of the calendar year. The rent ratio is also used to design a list of investment property that will provide positive cash flow.
This is the simplest way to put it take the monthly rent divided by the purchase price/value. For example, a home that rents for $1000/month (monthly rent) that costs $100,000 (property value/ house price) has a rent-to-value ratio of 1% (1,000/100,000 x 100=1%).
The higher the rent-to-value ratio, the better.
Typically if you are a real estate investor, using rent to value ratio 1st step to deal analysis at a huge list of properties, using excel to make this calculation is the best practice to narrow them down.
As per my criteria, I cut loose about how many bedrooms, square footage, if it’s the Victorian era, made out of bricks, in a hurricane zone, or if Heath Ledger grew up there. In the initial stage, these do not interest me because I first check out if it hits the numbers (rent-to-value ratio) first.
Take note: Just because it meets the 1% threshold does not mean you have a winner.
Picture this, a $50k home and you will have it rent for $800. You’re probably thinking “Wow, that’s a good deal as it has an (800/50k) 1.6% plus rent-to-value ratio”. In reality, those homes have a lower-quality tenant who screws up the property, has a high vacancy rate, and would, later on, affect your cash flow. In some places, you might have to carry a gun to pick up the rent. Personally, I like to find properties that are right in that 1% zone but are also the most expensive (highest class). Like a $145k property that rents for $1400/month.
Beware that there are similar metrics such as the Capitalization Rate (Cap Rate) or Gross Rent Multiplier, but these are typically not used in the non-commercial realm of Single-Family Rentals. Using such vernacular can tip you off to an agent that you are either inexperienced or European. Nothing is wrong with being European except they do things backward compare to Americans like the whole kilograms thing and drinking pints.
This is also an indicator for you that you are working with an inexperienced agent or one that is coming from the commercial world trying to “get rid of a few Single Family Homes” as a side gig.
| Home Value | Rent/Month | Class |
| 40K | 600 | D |
| 60K | 800 | C+ |
| 70K | 875 | B- |
| 90K | 1000 | B |
| 110K | 1100 | B+ |
| 130K | 1150 | A- |
| 160K | 1200 | A |
Figure: General Rent to Value Ratios w/ Classes in top Cashflow Markets
Note: Monthly Rents on vertical, Home Value on horizontal: Varies by market, this is simply to illustrate that this line is not straight
Nuances to recognize:
- The value and rent relationship is not linear. Instead, it would be a curved line (see graph above) where you have aggressive returns in higher ratio rents in the beginning (lower class properties) and lower ratio rents in the end (higher class properties).
- As properties get more expensive the rent to value ratio typically decreases – see the graph above as the home value gets over 100k it gets flatter (horizontal).
- Just know that the rents per month in this chart are Proforma rents, which mean subject to real life– and if it’s coming from a sales agent – yup straight up BS. If you are totally understanding the graph above, note that the curve will flatten out (less bendy, straighter) as you transition to actual real-life performance. Or in other words, you will have to pay a lot more expenses per income in the lower classes than higher classes because lower-class tenants tend to be harder to manage.
- The graph does not depict is the mental currency that you have to expend on “pain in the ass” (PITA) tenants. Try to minimize the PITA potential in all levels of investing so you don’t have to deal with headaches all the time. Rental property investment is a great catch but don’t let it consume you especially in looking for a prospective tenant, following up on the lease, and calculating for operating expense. Remember: This is an investment that will generate cash flow and, if this is a loan, will help you pay the mortgage payment.
What the price to rent ratio tells you about an investment property?
The rent-to-rent ratio is calculated around the least volatile prices that the investor is willing to make on the rental business/investment. The profit or loss that the investor feels results from purchasing an investment property in the market. Property valuation can serve also as a guide to purchasing value of an investment.
To plunge into this topic even further, determining the rent-to-rent ratio, we first calculate net operating income over the life of the rental property. The income ratio is the profit relative to net rental yield or cash flow to net operating income.
Payday lenders use the rent to market as the top position for buying real estate. Rent-to-gross rental yield is the sales price at which the investor receives the monthly rent at the time of purchase price. So, the rent to an investor should be greater than the gross rent. Therefore, the rent to gross rental yield would be less than the capitalization rate. Before deducting the capitalization rate, the rent to million may not be an accurate estimate of the net operating income of a real estate investor.
The operating margin is an income-based on operating expense on the rental property including mortgage payment, expected maintenance, material expenses. This is income-based, not much better.
In this example, the investment might be the loan cost which is estimated to increase or decrease every quarter. The loan cost divided by the rental income or they could be the stock of interest rate which is below the market rate. By paying the loan cost towards rent ratio, the investor would give the market a more favorable to the real estate investment with cash return which would better pay the loan cost than buying.
The real estate property value is an indicator of the profit potential of a rental property. The rental property might be the median annual rent when accounting for capitalization rate, gross rent, and non-rentable income.
Profit to rent ratio is a valuation test based on the capitalized rentals of the year, long-term ratio, and term. Depending on renting income, the sales price or purchase price of an investment property is not good for monthly rent. The rental yield is well below the capitalization rate (1.145%). So, the rent to rents ratio is low. So, by rent to rent ratio, a real estate investment would generate a profit on the investment.
Since the median home value serves as the term for rent, the high price to rent ratio indicates a real estate investor is buying real estate with a substantial profit. For example, cash builds in the housing prices, and the rising rent-rate would be the difference between the home price that prices slowly rise and the high price-to-rent ratio at the same time.
Why the one percent rule and income discipline matter?
The multi-percent rule and income discipline help to consider many factors in the market: at a minimum, the capitalization rate (cap rate calculator)is a big factor. This factor counts to save the amount of cash obtained from buying an investment property. The same may apply to closing costs which rising less than the amounts you have declared on monthly rent. One can compare monthly rent versus the price of Real Estate which has a cap rate. At a cost, it looks like investing me at an average of 0.02.
At any point, it is better to realize that metric comes in handy when the comparison of the capitalized units of property with obtainable. If you keep an eye on the Capitalized Rent (pay bills, Square footage, etc.), it becomes an indicator. A good investment helps us to determine if an investment has the potential to create cash flow and increase monthly income.
Why should you calculate the price to rent ratio?
Paying the rent by putting down your loan or mortgage payment, keeping an eye on closing costs and mortgage payment, etc. is an expense that the investor may not contemplate with their investment. Also, the loan or mortgage payment could be an income-generating investment same as cash flow and other income ratios.
Purchasing an investment property can be an entrepreneur’s product or income put in order to obtain a mortgage. If you sell a property in the opposite part of the globe, it is important to calculate your mortgage payment via the real estate market. Other than that, the parameters for the rental may vary from place to place.
In publishing data on the rent-to-value ratio, we need to input data on the rent ratio, rent per house, and owners’ percentage of the rent on the sale of a rental property. After this, we can expound on the rent ratio such as the number of income that is delivering and the amount of loan/credit which the investor is bringing into the rental business or investment.
The rent ratio will also be in several places or on the market. If we write the number of rent per house that is available in the market, we would be able to derive a great rent to use the ratio to indicate investment in the area. Plot the rent ratio in the way as seen by rents for that area by rent per house.
Increasing the rent ratio would imply that the rent to rent is increasing in the area and therefore the rent to buying is increasing. This portends that the amount of renting needed is increasing. Renters would be back to receiving revenue. In addition, the amount of rental income that is delivered by the rental property suggests that the rental property has a more leisurely to operate cost and less copious cash flows. The number of rental income pointing toward the rent ratio would mean that the market has a more pleasant to operate schedule. It is available for every month of the calendar year. The number of rent per house that is available in the market would be much more favorable to the rentals than the rent per house. The rent ratio can be used for the calculation of capitalization of investment. The rental income can be used for some calculation that would results in direct local gains, rent to -rent ratio with cap rate will become the capitalization of rental property and increase the total at price. The value-added from the property would increase the income of the renter. So, rent to value ratio could provide a tool to identify those investments in a neighborhood that will generate a profit and return if investing at a cost less than $40,000 per month with rental income up to $100,000 per month.
How to calculate return on investment (ROI) on rental property?
Let’s face it! When it comes to diversifying portfolios, you always make sure to take note of ROI (return on investment). Some investors have the cash to invest but some rely on the lender (which can help you acquire a security deposit) or financial institutions (maybe based on debt service coverage ratio) to execute. This part is additional information when planning on investing and purchasing a real property investment (whether commercial real estate, single-family home).
For example, an investor invests $5,000 for a project. “What’s a rental property on the market that has cash in it?” In this scenario that the market fluctuates tremendously after utilizing three loan options to finance a rental property, surely the investor is facing a long-term debt. However, the yield of the mortgage does not change much. This calculator shows the yearly amount of expenses the investor will incur at closing cost. Real estate investor understanding commercial real estate will calculate the mortgage payment. You can also use your mentor to understand the market. Cash either now you simply multiply the rental income of rent with Interest Rate or Reserve which would ensure a gold portion is available. The monthly amount is given by cash flow. There are no broker fees during the real estate investment.
In REIT, using this kind of investment property, a company grows the property value as a passive income. Cash return, cash flow on the independent share. Finally, let’s begin real estate investing or a real estate investing calculator. Our rental yield is how much cash return, cash flow. He introduces the annual rental income to investors. Net operating income is the net cash flow minus tax advantage a real estate investor expects. Let’s encourage with some contributions.
As you would assume, some investors follow the rules. But the difference in the conversion of leisure to income is mainly dependent on the amount of cash investment back into a rental. Therefore, earn a profit, refinance, and FDIC insured funds while cash is cash. As a capitalized company, real estate investing is considered to be a series of research in the capital values also known as value investors. Therefore, it is known as a witnessed practice primarily while real estate does not rely on the practice of film.
Here are additional advice when considering real estate investment property (in terms of rent- to- value ratio):
On my preferred class of properties (especially when starting out), I like to stay in the “sweet spot,” which occurs right before your rent to value numbers flat line (based on the graph provided) – this is typical of the B to B+ range. You need to make your own judgment call here for your own strategy.
Also, there is something to be said about being diversified in several classes. For example in Houston where blue-collar jobs (C & B rentals) are suffering because of bad oil trends, it would also be good to have some higher-class properties (B+ & A- rentals) with jobs tied to white-collar jobs despite the lower returns. Lots of things going on here and that is why real estate investing, although simple, is not recommended for dummies.
Now you are confused and don’t know what to think. Don’t be!
Someone told me that 80% of the median home price ( not average – which is typically skewed higher and a figure that is easily found online) is a key price point to try to be around because that is where most of your renting population will be. For example, if the median home in Birmingham is 120k (80% x 120K = 96K) the magic price point is 96K – that’s right above a B class property how lucky is that.
In the end, having a rent to value ratio (rent to price ratio) as a metric is important when considering real estate investing, evaluating your net income (after deductions have been made from gross income), and coming up with your gross rental income.
But don’t just take my word for it!
Here are some of the numbers on a couple of my rentals:
My Rental #4 in Birmingham – https://simplepassivecashflow.com/case-study-birmingham-cindy/
My Rental #5 in Birmingham – https://simplepassivecashflow.com/rental-5-birmingham/
Learn more about other metrics to follow as a Sophisticated investor – Forbes – Three Financial Metrics Investors Must Monitor To Evaluate A Property’s Success
Make sure you are not making this mistake as an investor – Return on Equity