Real Estate... is this a buy?

Quote from zboy2854A:

And in the past 25 years, how many economic environments have you seen like this one? Yup, didn't think so.



I guess I should ignore the fact that I purchased my properties using this formula then?

The facts do not require you to agree with them for them to be true.

The fact is, in this economic environment, whatever the prevailing rents are would dictate the offer I would make on the property. So in your example, no, I wouldn't pay $200k. I'd make a much much lower offer.

Hmmm, yeah OK. So, tell me what is the average rental home in Hollywood Beach renting for per mo.?
 
Quote from NJ1000:

20 percent yield lol yea sign me up too!! U def arent getting that in NY/NJ area

Understand that that's gross yield. That's before debt service, taxes, insurance, HOA fees, vacancy expenses, maintenance, repairs and allowance for further rental/prop value declines.

Suddenly it's not quite the windfall you might think it is.
 
Quote from trendy:

Hmmm, yeah OK. So, tell me what is the average rental home in Hollywood Beach renting for per mo.?

Comps based on square footage in this area (walking distance to the beach) are $2000-2500/mo. Add in the efficiencies/guest quarters each property has, and you have $3k.
 
Quote from yip1997:

Please let me where I can find those properties with 1% monthly yield in San Diego. Which area and zipcode? I have been looking in SD for quite some time. Are they older properties that requires a lot of reserve maintenance cost?

I like to buy a rental property in SD now with the plan to move to SD after 5 years.

Vista 92083 there are a few properties. You'll need to renovate a little, but they are around 1%... 92078 and 92069 (San Marcos) has a few that are slightly below 1%.

You have to look for the segments of the market that were the predatory subprime breeding ground.
 
Quote from zboy2854A:

Understand that that's gross yield. That's before debt service, taxes, insurance, HOA fees, vacancy expenses, maintenance, repairs and allowance for further rental/prop value declines.

Suddenly it's not quite the windfall you might think it is.

Taxes, insurance, and maintenance are a killer in FL. Post an example of the actual cashflow on just 1 of your 2%+ properties. Show the expense side so we can compare apples to apples (debt service, taxes, insurance, etc. etc.)...
 
This is a fairly convoluted and ignorant post. We are all now dumber.

Quote from zboy2854A:

As a property investor, I use this basic rule of thumb for rental properties:

Purchase price * 2% = monthly rent required

It's a conservative formula, but IME it is the safest one to go with, especially when you factor in vacancy, repairs and upkeep, and possible further reductions in general rents or property values, given the current economic environment.

So in your case on a $70k property if you're putting down 20% ($14k) and financing the rest, you'd ideally want to be able to get at least $1120 a month in rent ($56k * 2%). That would give you a guaranteed cash flow and a margin of safety against falling rents, falling property values, vacancy and repairs and upkeep.

So if $800 is safely the most you can get in rent for the property and you can put 20% down, I'd make an offer to the bank of $50k for the property. Otherwise, I'd pass.

Also, as someone else mentioned, before purchasing be sure to check the condo association docs to see what restrictions they have on rentals. Many will restrict you from renting the unit more than once in a 12 month period, so if you get a deadbeat tenant who disappears after 3 months, you're screwed for the next 9 months...:eek:
 
Quote from scriabinop23:

The HOA will be much higher likely. Here in CA even without landscaping, esp. with a smaller HOA it is $250-$300 starters. Find out. Ziprealty will show you the HOA fee (free to sign up). And HOA fees are hard to pass to your tenants. Often they include water, but you can't pass the water component (since it isn't divided by actual use of your unit) to the renter directly.

And find out whatever coverage you have to do for flooding. In CA, most often the HOA covers the physical building, but in FL things may be different considering the hurricane risk ... Regardless you must still cover your part of personal contents (likely drywall, flooring, lower level of cabinets, etc) esp. if this is a lower level condo.

Go single family.... Where do you live btw? I know some great deals in Socal I can guide you to and have experience with this (have done 3 of them recently, including renovations etc). (heh, i'm not a real estate agent if it sounds like that... i just have some enthusiasm about it)


Thanks for the tip. ZipRealty has it listed for $135, including water. Renting is allowed by the HOA.

[Edit: Just looked at a second source, listed as $170 which is more realistic.]

I rotate between Illinois and Florida. I'm always shocked at how affordable the housing prices is when I come to visit.
 
I know people who have rental properties. The biggest struggle is the renters. Will they pay on time? Will they pay at all? Are they going to stay there for a year and cause just as much damage to the place as they paid in rent?

About 10 years ago, I rented an apartment and there were a bunch of young people next door. They partied hard. They knocked down a wall in the apartment without asking the landlord. They painted the place their own colors. They did drugs. They were fun people.

When they moved out, I ran into the landlord who said that he had to hire a contractor and pay them $12000 to fix the apartment.

The people I know who rent properties are constantly on the door-steps of their tenants. One of the people I know delayed filing actions in court believing that it might worsen the problem. Well, without any actions filed, the problem only got worse.
Then there are the tenants who demand their rights and want everything in the place up to code exactly and wont hesitate at complaining to some government agency or taking you to court.

From what I have observed, being a landlord sucks unless you have good tenants. In my life experiences, I dont think you can tell who will screw you and who wont screw you. People are all the same and, in the end, you cant trust them or make them do what you want them to do....
 
Quote from JJacksET4:

Doing some basic reasearch, is this the condo in question?

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7920-Merrill-Rd-UNIT-1607-Jacksonville-FL-32277/71042518_zpid/

http://www.realtor.com/search/listi...36988adee23453&lid=1104426041&lsn=3&srcnt=106

Looks pretty nice to me. I don't know anything about Jacksonville and area though to know if it's a good area.

You might want to double-verify that you could really get that much rent for that unit. Since the prices to buy have come down, rents could head in that direction even if they haven't already.

JJacksET4

That's it.
 
Quote from scriabinop23:

Taxes, insurance, and maintenance are a killer in FL. Post an example of the actual cashflow on just 1 of your 2%+ properties. Show the expense side so we can compare apples to apples (debt service, taxes, insurance, etc. etc.)...

OK, here you go.

Purchase price $150k. 20% down, $130k financed 30 years @ 5.5%.

Monthly expenses:

P&I: $740.00
Taxes: $600 (currently appealing :mad: )
Insurance: $400
Vacancy (10% of monthly rent): $300
Repairs/maintenance (1% of purchase price/12): $125

Total current monthly expenses: $2165/mo.

Current rent: $2700/mo (down from $2900 at time of purchase)

Positive cash flow: $535/mo.
 
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