5% cash on cash ROI - better to start out anyway or wait

5% cash on cash ROI - better to start out anyway or wait

Member since 2023 · 5 posts · 1 vote

As a first timer in the real estate investing, I wanted to start out easy.

So I have been primarily looking for easy properties nearby in a good school area, cleanly managed, good neighborhood and etc although the listing prices were way beyond the 70% or 80% rule.

Then it turned out that every properties that I considered to offer are expected to generate disappointingly small cash on cash return of around 5% at best when it's bought in full cash. (It barely breaks even when it's financed with 40~50% downpayment.)

Because of this lower than expected return (considering 4.xx% interest from saving account), I have been stepping back at the last minutes.

So what would you suggest?

Is it better to jump in for this 5% return and start out anyway or better to wait until I find a property with average return of 8~12%?

For the area where I am looking properties, it's definitely a seller market.

There's no room to negotiate or low ball the purchase offer. Nice properties are sold usually >10K listing prices now.

Please share your wisdom.

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Jaron WallingPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2018 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
3y

"There's no room to negotiate or low ball the purchase offer." - False, you're just looking at the wrong properties. Find/buy/create an opportunity for yourself or keep waiting.  

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  • Joe VilleneuvePro Member
    Plymouth, MI · Member since 2013 · 13k+ posts · 19k+ votes
    3y

    NEVER make a deal just to make a deal.  It's either a good deal or it isn't.

  • Real Estate Agent · Allentown, PA · Member since 2023 · 14 posts · 18 votes
    3y

    You should hold out and wait for a property that fits exactly what you are looking for in an investment property. Resist the temptation to buy "just because you can". You want to make sure you buy a property that fits YOUR financial goals because ultimately seeing a good return is what makes real estate investing worthwhile. 

    That property that checks all the boxes will come along eventually as long as you are actively looking. When it does you'll know it and the decision will be easy for. 

  • Jaron WallingPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2018 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    3y

    "There's no room to negotiate or low ball the purchase offer." - False, you're just looking at the wrong properties. Find/buy/create an opportunity for yourself or keep waiting.  

  • Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2020 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    3y

    @Jiseok Kim

    There are two areas of return in real estate.  Cash flow and appreciation.  And returns equate to risk.

    From your post you are looking at very low risk assets, but expecting outsized returns.  That just doesn't really happen.  If you want higher returns, especially from cash flow, you have to take on higher risk.  Look in rougher areas, houses that need a fair amount of renovation and deferred maintenance.

    Right now, you are looking at houses that most all home owners want: clean, well maintained, good schools.  And unfortunately, if you want a highly desirable product, you will pay a higher price.

    You need to take risk to get 8-12% cash flow returns.  

  • Real Estate Agent · Chicago, IL · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    3y

    You can withdraw 4-5% COC from stock index funds so I would never do a real estate deal with a lower/same COC as that. Look elsewhere. The whole point of real estate is leveraged total returns so if you need to put 40-50% down for it to work the capital is better spent elsewhere. 25% is max down I would ever do and most of my clients do 5-15% owner occupy for a year and then get very high returns off real estate.

  • Bay area, CA · Member since 2021 · 383 posts · 306 votes
    3y

    If a deal has future potential because of good area, then yeah, don't let less CoC be the reason to give up on a good deal.

  • Investor · Denver, CO · Member since 2023 · 161 posts · 52 votes
    3y

    You may as well invest in the new Vanguard fixed income fund that offers a risk free return of 5.02% 

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