Gotchas in Analyzing Turnkey Properties

[Monte Riding]

I'm interested in a (remote) turnkey property as a first rental, and did my first analysis on some turnkey properties I came across today. The seller offered some quick financials that looked great at a glance, and all their properties appear to cash flow $200 to $400+ per month. After doing analysis on a couple of properties however, I quickly found that my assumptions didn't match up with the seller's. In digging further, it appears they are using really aggressive estimates on interest rate, PM, vacancy, maintenance, etc. On top of that.... the purchase price is well above what comps are going for by 20% or more. After using more realistic estimates, cash flow in most cases becomes flush or a bit negative. I was disappointed to find such misleading estimates being marketed to newbie RE investors.

What things should someone look out for as a first time investor in turnkey properties?

[Zach Lemaster]

@Monte Riding

I think your question is really centered around evaluating properties and due diligence in general.  Personally, I would remove TK out of the equation to simply ask, how do you confidently verify information presented about any investment, local, or at a distance.  There seems to be this focus around some bad actors in the TK space that may misrepresent information, but this ignores the hundreds of thousands of general sellers out there that give inaccurate information.  Regardless of who you are buying from, it is important to always follow strict due diligence practices to ensure information is accurate.  Have appraisals, home inspections, speak to mngt, ask for references, get copies of leases, check county taxes, obtain multiple lender quotes, get your own insurance quotes (as you will be required to anyways), if possible visit the home/local team, understand the market & neighborhood & ultimately have a clear idea of what your goals are to ensure you are considering investments that will move you closer to accomplishing your goals.  I personally purchase a significant amount of investments out of state in the residential, commercial MF, retail & industrial space.  I can say that there are always variances to some degree in one form or another.  That is what the due diligence process is for is to thoroughly evaluate all information about the property, and then decide if it still meets your criteria to proceed.  @Chris Clothier has a great reputation in the TK space & has been a leader in the industry for quite some time.  The TK companies that have been around for years & have a strong reputation on this site should give you some confidence they are doing right by their investors.  Best of luck in your endeavors! Feel free to reach out at any point in time with any questions.