There is a saying in real estate that you make your profit when you buy and get your cash when you sell. When deciding whether to invest in houses or apartment buildings, be aware of the differences when it comes to creating value. Investors are looking for a good return on their money. Make sure you keep this goal in mind and don’t get caught up with other aspects of real estate.
One broker said that apartments are real estate and houses are feel estate. The difference is that the value for apartments is based on numbers. The value of single family houses is based on a number of subjective attributes like wallpaper, carpet, paint, location, and many other factors you can’t control.
Apartment values, on the other hand, are based on the numbers and the net operating income. The more net operating income you generate, the more money you can put in your pocket when you refinance or cash out. Multifamily real estate investors have a larger degree of control over the revenue and expenses of their real estate than investors in houses. Apartment investors can estimate the value up front and even predict the value of the property if certain changes are made. For instance, if the owner of an apartment building raises the rent by $10, he can know exactly how much money will be coming in each month.
Single-family investors have to play more of a guessing game. An investor could spend several thousand dollars replacing carpet in the hopes of increasing the value of the home only to discover that the next potential renter hates carpet. The value of upgrades is subjective, and it’s difficult if not impossible to predict what will really add value and attract tenants or buyers.
Clearly, investing in apartment buildings offers a much greater degree of control and security than investing in single-family housing. If you like to be able to predict success based on numbers and follow through to that success, multifamily real estate is right for you.
With any real estate, single family or multifamily, sellers may be quite attached to their properties. Sellers’ pride in their properties can make negotiations exceptionally difficult at times. When evaluating a multifamily property, buyers need firm details about rents, occupancy, cap rate, and so on. But how do you get past a difficult or emotional seller?
1. Walk away from an unreasonable deal. Sellers can afford to throw out unrealistic numbers if they have plenty of time to sell. They put a price out there under the bigger fool theory and wait for the bigger fool to show up. As a buyer, however, you need to know how to evaluate a deal and walk away from one that won’t help you meet your goals. This can be difficult when you find a beautiful property and you’re anxious to invest. Have the determination that you’re looking for a good deal and you won’t settle for anything less. Your patience will pay off.
2. Make an ally out of a difficult seller. When you come across a seller who has set a too-high price for a property, you can build a relationship with him even if you can’t buy his property. For example, you could say, “It sounds like you have a beautiful property and I’m looking for a value play. Your property is not probably one I could look for here, but are you looking for other deals in the area? If I come across a deal, maybe you’ll want to buy it or invest in it.” You’ve just made a contact with someone you can do business with in a different way.
3. Be specific about your requirements. Some sellers have not thought through the finances of their property and may not be able to talk with you about its market cap rate and net operating income. But you can do the research and find out the details. Then, if the price is just too high, you can leave an offer you can afford, an offer that will give you a little cash flow and be a workable deal. You can tell the seller that you realize it’s a low offer, but it’s all you can do. He can consider it a backup offer in case he ever needs it. If no “bigger fools” show up, you may well get a phone call.
Remember that you’re going to come across all kinds of sellers. Try not to write anyone off completely. If you keep your mind open and your goals in sight, you can come up with a good deal and possibly a greater network of fellow real estate investors in your area.
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