Multi's in Cleveland orrrrr?

Multi's in Cleveland orrrrr?

Member since 2020 · 4 posts · 1 vote

Hey all, very excited to become a more active member on the community here, and excited to be making a first post. 

My husband and I are starting our our real estate investing ventures with our sights set on Multi-Family properties, and we will be investing Out Of State as we live in Colorado Springs and the market is insane here. 


We've been heavily considering Ohio, more specifically Cleveland, as our first place to dive in and buy a duplex. That said, we want to avoid tunnel vision, and want to put this out to the larger community to see what other locations you have had experiences in, and their pros/cons compared to a place like Cleveland. Here's my take on Cleveland so far: 

Pro's:

- Cashflowing Mutli family houses can be had for well under $100k, in "turnkey" condition (or close to it)

- Turnkey is important since we are OOS investors and it's our first time purchasing, so we aren't looking for a BRRRR just yet,

                but that will come later once we feel more confident.

- Many properties already have long term tenants placed in them

- Prop. Mgmt/Real Estate companies local to the area that specialize in investment properties 

- Rent to Avg Price ratio seems to be in our favor for many of the properties we've seen listed.

Cons:

- Relatively high taxes

- POS Requirements (I've seen properties with dozens of listed "POS" items that need to be fixed)

- Water bill is typically paid by landlord (although I've seen some on here talk about PM companies passing that bill to the tenants lately)


Given our criteria, is there anyone here that would recommend we scrap Cleveland as our entry point for RE Investing? If so, what other places would you recommend we look? Hopefully we've posted enough info above in order for solid insight from you all. Looking forward to your answers! 

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Real Estate Agent · Westlake, OH · Member since 2014 · 186 posts · 165 votes
4y

To stay under $100k and be turnkey, you'll have to be looking in some of the most challenging areas to manage property in the area (pretty much city of Cleveland).  I don't typically recommend this as a starting point for new investors....its easy to get scared or frustrated if you run into issues immediately.  Once you have some experience it will be a lot easier to take things in stride and then you can look at that type of investment to diversify your portfolio.  You should consider adjusting your bar to under $200k as a starting point.  That will allow you to purchase a property that's more likely to be stable- and a better first experience. 

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  • Real Estate Agent · Memphis, TN · Member since 2019 · 365 posts · 264 votes
    4y

    @Olivia Beaucher congrats on the first post and taking action! I would definitely dig deeper into the areas you're investing in and what your risk tolerance really is. In today's market, properties that are 100k were most likely 50-60k properties 3-5 years ago. In these lower priced pockets it's typically going to be a more rental dominant type area which will most likely bring more risk to the table. Now the return may be greater if everything works outs but the odds of residents not paying on time or at all does increase.

  • Remington LymanBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2017 · 6k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    4y
    Originally posted by @Olivia Beaucher:

    Hey all, very excited to become a more active member on the community here, and excited to be making a first post. 

    My husband and I are starting our our real estate investing ventures with our sights set on Multi-Family properties, and we will be investing Out Of State as we live in Colorado Springs and the market is insane here. 


    We've been heavily considering Ohio, more specifically Cleveland, as our first place to dive in and buy a duplex. That said, we want to avoid tunnel vision, and want to put this out to the larger community to see what other locations you have had experiences in, and their pros/cons compared to a place like Cleveland. Here's my take on Cleveland so far: 

    Pro's:

    - Cashflowing Mutli family houses can be had for well under $100k, in "turnkey" condition (or close to it)

    - Turnkey is important since we are OOS investors and it's our first time purchasing, so we aren't looking for a BRRRR just yet,

                    but that will come later once we feel more confident.

    - Many properties already have long term tenants placed in them

    - Prop. Mgmt/Real Estate companies local to the area that specialize in investment properties 

    - Rent to Avg Price ratio seems to be in our favor for many of the properties we've seen listed.

    Cons:

    - Relatively high taxes

    - POS Requirements (I've seen properties with dozens of listed "POS" items that need to be fixed)

    - Water bill is typically paid by landlord (although I've seen some on here talk about PM companies passing that bill to the tenants lately)


    Given our criteria, is there anyone here that would recommend we scrap Cleveland as our entry point for RE Investing? If so, what other places would you recommend we look? Hopefully we've posted enough info above in order for solid insight from you all. Looking forward to your answers! 

     I would recommend Columbus over Cleveland, Ohio

  • Marc RiceBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus Cleveland Dayton, OH · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    4y

    You forgot the lack of quality tenants, neighborhood growth, and reliance on property managers to chase rent.

    Marc Rice | Investor Friendly Agent at Reafco Tailwind Team574 Reviews
  • Member since 2018 · 150 posts · 200 votes
    4y

    The Cleveland market offers many strong rental investment options.  You won't have to deal much with POS requirements if you stay below $100k on a rented / rent ready property as mostly in that price range, you would be looking at Cleveland proper and not the surrounding suburbs that have the POS requirements.  Depending on your goals and risk tolerance, you will be able to choose between single and two family properties that can generate short term cash flow along with upside potential.  We currently have 100+ units in the Cleveland market and have experienced steady income and, most recently, significant upside on values.  Good luck with whatever road you choose!

  • Real Estate Agent · Westlake, OH · Member since 2014 · 186 posts · 165 votes
    4y

    To stay under $100k and be turnkey, you'll have to be looking in some of the most challenging areas to manage property in the area (pretty much city of Cleveland).  I don't typically recommend this as a starting point for new investors....its easy to get scared or frustrated if you run into issues immediately.  Once you have some experience it will be a lot easier to take things in stride and then you can look at that type of investment to diversify your portfolio.  You should consider adjusting your bar to under $200k as a starting point.  That will allow you to purchase a property that's more likely to be stable- and a better first experience. 

  • Contractor · OH · Member since 2021 · 25 posts · 14 votes
    4y

    @Olivia Beaucher

    Tons of multis on craigslist for cleveland for great prices that arent listed on MLS I just dont think juice is worth the squeeze in most areas, specifically east cleveland. But there are a few colleges and community colleges in cleveland so you might have a niche renting to students.

  • Investor · Kansas City, MO · Member since 2021 · 110 posts · 65 votes
    4y

    Cleveland is a great market for multi's and cashflow fr low price compared to most, but you have to have a risk tolerance for holding these properties for at least 7 years for good appreciation compared to other markets. But if you are looking for multi-family units on the cheap with a consistent rent-only mindset then it's a good area for that. OH in general is a great cashflow market.

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