Are SFH rentals viable in San Antonio?

[Nathan Mabery]

With rents seemingly being lower than national averages how have you made SFH work for long term rentals in San Antonio? What helps in the most in creating cash flow; location, loan program, etc? TIA

[Aaron Francl]

@Nathan Mabery I always recommend really digging into the market and sub-markets to make these sorts of analyses. Real estate is so hyper local and going off things happening nationally just aren't going to give you the clearest picture of what's happening in your chosen market. 

For example: We're entering peak rental time and I have a 4-unit building with a vacancy coming up. Now, national averages may be down, but when I'm running numbers for my area, I'm seeing another increase over last year's averages. So, I'll be able to comfortably add another $50/month or $600/year in cashflow via that unit's market price.

As for your question, it's just going to depend on location - primarily. Other than that, it could be some upgraded finish outs or features or possibly a mix of various lease lengths with furnishings, etc.