Rental Rate Data and Comps

[Drew Steusloff]

Hi BP,

I am playing with the numbers on some potential deals and I'm struggling to come up with rental rates. I have primarily looked at listings on craigslist as well as rentals on sites like Zillow and Realtor. However, while this information has given me a range to hone in on, Its is too wide to make an informed decision as the swing can make or break a deal. Additionally, I'm not sure how to gauge vacancy in order to tell if the listings are to high or too low. To be extra cautious I am only assuming 80% occupancy in my calculations. 

Additionally, does anyone have thoughts on the reliability of Mashvisor for investors. I have been using this to run some quick figures on  properties, but had never heard of this until an agent referred me to it. So far it seems like a good tool but what is everyone else experience?

Thanks,