Don’t Overlook These Common Mistakes When Investing In Multi-family Properties

February 8, 2023

Not conducting market research

The most dangerous mistake a real estate investor can make is not to do sufficient research on a property, the neighborhood, and marketing dynamics, both current and upcoming trends. It can be a time-consuming and laborious process, but this is the foundational aspect between a profitable venture and a money sink. Some of the risks that could happen if you do not conduct research or ignore the signs:

Overestimating the rental income and potential appreciation of the property value
Long-term vacancies if the property doesn’t fit with the local market needs
Purchasing a property that requires a lot more repair and refurb than anticipated

Each of these could be disastrous to a real estate deal, and without proper research, you could be stuck with all these potential problems. Analyzing and interpreting the data correctly is the key to lucrative investments and should be at the very start of every investment decision.

Underestimating financing needs

Real estate investment financing can be a minefield for first-time investors. They work out a project proposal that is attractive and relatively stable enough to entice money lenders to part with their funds while correctly assessing their funding needs. There are few things worse than investing in a property and then running out of funds part way, necessitating a scramble to either raise more or divest with the investment at a loss. Investors should do their due diligence to understand all costs, including purchase price, repairs, operations, and vacancies, and the list grows as you drill down into details. On top of these, the investor will have to add the financing costs to work out an explicit requirement when pitching for funding. Don’t forget should you be actively seeking funding for real estate investments, our team at RE Investor News are the experts in connecting investors with credible lenders, so don’t hesitate to contact us!

Get In Touch With The Real Estate Investor News Team If You Want To Know More About Buying And Financing Investment Properties

Ignoring property maintenance

While the principles of property maintenance are common between single-family and multi-family properties, they can vary significantly in scale depending on the property type. Real estate investors making the leap from single-family to multi-family homes can underestimate the costs, time, and effort required to maintain a property housing multiple tenants. Multiple ongoing repairs, collecting late rent, finding new tenants to fill a vacancy, and meeting tenant expectations can all add up over time, causing an administration nightmare if not managed effectively.

If the property is sizable enough, investors should consider hiring a property management company to administer and run the daily operations of the location, and the cost should be budgeted upfront.

Not screening tenants

Taking the time to vet potential clients can make all the difference in ensuring timely rental payments and proper upkeep of each unit. Always do background checks and conduct interviews with all potential clients to assess if they would make responsible residents of your building. Due to having multiple rental units in one property, having many bad tenants can turn your dream investment into a constant headache concentrated on a single asset.

Not maintaining an emergency fund

In an ideal world, things always go according to plan. Sadly, our world is far from ideal, and no matter how diligently you plan, there will always be a chance that something will go wrong. It could be a sudden, extensive repair or a long-term vacancy in your units. Still, having an emergency fund you can dip into can be the difference between solvency and bankruptcy in extreme situations. As a practice, you should set aside around 5% – 10% of your monthly income towards growing an emergency fund.

Conclusion

Just as the rewards of multi-family properties grow with the scale of the property, so do the potential drawbacks and costs if things go sideways.

These can all be costly mistakes that could spell catastrophe for your real estate deal. Set yourself up for a profitable and successful investment for your next multi-family deal by constantly checking for these preventable missteps.

When you feel confident you’re ready to dive into your next big investment, you will need stable, dependable funding to accelerate your investment ambitions. At RE Investor News, our specialists know exactly how to find the best financing deals for your project’s needs. Get in touch for the best real estate financing deals.