My Multi-Family Property has a 14% cap rate. So what?

My Multi-Family Property has a 14% cap rate. So what?

Member since 2019 · 11 posts · 9 votes

I’m one year in to owning my 4 unit multi-family property. Bought it for $209,000.

i have dramatically remodeled the building in under a year and doubled the gross monthly rent income.

As of right now I have a cap rate of 14%. Remaining remodel costs and associated rent increases bumps the cap rate to 15%.

A commercial lender in my area (Charleston, WV) said they value property around a 10% cap rate, which would put the value of the property (subject to appraisal) at around $458,000.

Someone help me out. What do I do with this thing? There’s a gigantic delta in anticipated selling price and the money I’ve put into it. We’re talking about a $130,000 difference in just over a year! That would ghost my student loans and I could start all over! Maybe the flip and sell is a terrible idea? How can making 130k in under a year be terrible?

Then again, my cap rate is really high. Average cap rate is 9-10.5% here.

Do I try to refinance? If so, how does that work if I wanted to buy another building but I don’t have any liquidity (besides an oh oh fund for emergency repairs).

Or, do I just sit on the property, collect my rent checks, and hang out?

Thanks for any and all advice!

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Real Estate Agent · Luray, VA · Member since 2016 · 459 posts · 293 votes
7y

If you can refinance and still achieve a healthy cash flow with all of the rent bumps and renovations that you have done, then I would do that.  You could then pay off your student loans or move that money into another investment.  Regarding your liquidity, it would be wise to set some of the refinance funds aside for an emergency fund/additional liquidity and then reinvest the rest.

Another option that you have would be to 1031 exchange the funds into a larger property that you can do a similar strategy with.

Finally, I would call an appraiser, but 4 units and under are still residential properties and will be valued by a comp analysis rather than the income capitalization approach used for commercial investment properties.  What do the comps for similar style properties to yours sell for right now?

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  • Real Estate Agent · Luray, VA · Member since 2016 · 459 posts · 293 votes
    7y

    If you can refinance and still achieve a healthy cash flow with all of the rent bumps and renovations that you have done, then I would do that.  You could then pay off your student loans or move that money into another investment.  Regarding your liquidity, it would be wise to set some of the refinance funds aside for an emergency fund/additional liquidity and then reinvest the rest.

    Another option that you have would be to 1031 exchange the funds into a larger property that you can do a similar strategy with.

    Finally, I would call an appraiser, but 4 units and under are still residential properties and will be valued by a comp analysis rather than the income capitalization approach used for commercial investment properties.  What do the comps for similar style properties to yours sell for right now?

  • Real Estate Agent · Cupertino, CA · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    7y

    I will order an appraisal or a commercial broker price opinion before going that far to speculate steep quick appreciation. 

  • Member since 2019 · 11 posts · 9 votes
    7y

    @Chase Louderback thanks for the advice.

    Not to sound cliche, but there are no reasonable comps for my property around here. No one has remodeled multi family in my area and increased the property value like I have done. All of the multi family currently around are what the house was like when I bought it (run down, dated, total garbage). Besides large ant farm community housing, I’m literally the only game in town.

    My units are brand new stainless steel kitchens, butcher block countertops, LED lighting, etc on and on it goes.

    That being said, comparable cap rates for multi family (not updated) are selling for around 10.5%, and I purchased the property at a 10% cap rate.

    The commercial lender at wesbanco wanted to use a cap rate structure in determining value of the property.

  • Rental Property Investor · Ankeny, IA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    7y

    @Ryan Dunne Ewing

    Personally, I would refinance to a point where the property still cash flows, and I would use the funds to purchase another property. Keep the student loans. I’m guessing the interest rates on those are 4-6%, and your money can make a lot more than that with more property.

  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Anthony Wick:

    @Ryan Dunne Ewing

    Personally, I would refinance to a point where the property still cash flows, and I would use the funds to purchase another property. Keep the student loans. I’m guessing the interest rates on those are 4-6%, and your money can make a lot more than that with more property.

     also keep in mind sales costs and tax's your 130k equity is really maybe 40 to 50k in your pocket.. so look at it that way.

    sounds like you may have over improved these assets unless your commanding much higher rents for the quality of finishs you did.

    tenants beat the crap out of rentals keep that in mind.. LOL

  • Member since 2019 · 11 posts · 9 votes
    7y

    @Jay Hinrichs

    Rent more than doubled from $500 to $1085.

  • Member since 2019 · 11 posts · 9 votes
    7y

    @Jay Hinrichs I’m a licensed attorney so costs would be less. Where are you getting 80k in costs from?

  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    7y

    for average person they would have brokerage fees of 5 to 6%  on 458k = 27k..  closing cost lets say just sellers title insurance at 2k..  income tax  30% of 100k = 30k  state income tax  ( if you have it ) say 5%  another 5k 

    so about 65k in costs for the average person to sell if you did this all in less than a year its ordinary income. 

    130k - 65k = 65k in your pocket.. or somewhere around there.. the closing function that a closing attorney does is only worth about 500 bucks.. at least that's what I pay for closing services in attorney states.

    Ergo why folks are telling you to refi or 1031..

  • Member since 2019 · 11 posts · 9 votes
    7y

    @Jay Hinrichs thanks jay appreciate you teasing the numbers out. Makes sense

  • Specialist · Washington, DC · Member since 2019 · 177 posts · 150 votes
    7y

    @Ryan Dunne Ewing

    At this point it would be wise to gear the property and expand your portfolio. You're in positive cash flow territory which buys you some significant advantages.

    Although it can potentially be risky, gearing it will give you a tax free realization of your equity while allowing you to keep your property and redistribute your capital into another, potentially larger property.

    As it stands you are still in the residential category as you are below 5 units. Because of this you can value your property both with an income approach as well as a comp approach. However, your income approach should not be based off of a cap rate, it should be based off of the areas GRM. Since you do not fall under a commercial property, estimating the value off of cap rate is going to skew your valuation and probably not in your favor.

    As was previously stated, you may have over improved the property. If the neighborhood you are in is...less than desirable, than it will be difficult to sell. Not to mention that by doing all the renovation you have done you have essentially taken all of the value add components out of the equation, hence making it less desirable for another investor.

    Therefore, it would be in your best interest to avoid the fees, taxes and various other headaches of selling, pull the equity and find another value add play on a larger property.

    This is how portfolios grow. Just food for thought.

  • Rental Property Investor · Durham, NC · Member since 2016 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    7y

    @Ryan Dunne Ewing. This is a 4 unit and therefore residential, not commercial. Meaning the value will be based on comparable sold propeties in your area, of similar condition. Meaning yes the income approach will carry some weight but it’ll be relatively little compared to what other 4 units are selling for.

    I can’t believe no one else has mentioned this. That means your cap rate whatever it is, is largely irrelevant

  • Rental Property Investor · San Francisco Bay Area · Member since 2018 · 87 posts · 87 votes
    7y

    Yeah, refinance, take some cash out, and go do another one. 

  • Member since 2019 · 11 posts · 9 votes
    7y

    Okay this is all great advice. Thank you all. Couple comments re: over-investing in the property.

    I bought the 4-unit property at $209,000. It is five houses from the state capitol building; it is most definitely in a desirable area for housing and young professionals.

    The money spent on the house includes the hard stuff, entire new roof and new hvac units, etc... the stuff that needed to be done. I’m no slumlord.

    There are no real comparable comps to my property because no one has really remodeled the multi family units in town. They are all the 1970s brown wood and yellow tile dated type of deal. You all know what I’m talking about.

    So a 14% cap rate is basically useless because I have 4 units instead of 5? If that’s the case, then I’ll just sit and collect rent lol woe is me!

  • Investor · Hendersonville, NC · Member since 2013 · 754 posts · 281 votes
    7y

    Lots of good advice here. My suggestion would be to get rid of bad debt as a priority. WHen I say that I don't mean debt that you'll never collect on, I mean student loan debt. It's an albatross weighing you down. If you have the opportunity to sell a wonderfully performing asset, that will feel bad, but won't it feel great to jettison the burden of those rapacious student loans!? I would prefer to ditch those and take on bank or private money loans to do your next project. Maybe I'm being compulsive. I suppose someone could argue that if you have a 6% student loan debt, keep that in place because it's fairly cheap money. I just tend to think "thin out, be agile, drop dead weight, keep progressing." Student loans are about the stickiest debt there is - not dischargable in bankruptcy. If you don't get rid of it when you have a fantastic opportunity to, you may someday regret it.

  • Rental Property Investor · Teaneck, NJ · Member since 2016 · 567 posts · 291 votes
    7y

    @Ryan Dunne Ewing if there is a demand for the updated apartments, and you have many people applying to move in, then defenantly refinance to the point that you still cash flow in this unit and do the same on the next property. You should hold on to your student loan as it is probably under 5-6%. 

    If the market does not support and have the demand for this type of renovated properties, I would just collect the cash, or just pay off your student loan as you get the cash. 

  • Rental Property Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2016 · 137 posts · 80 votes
    7y

    Refi enough out so that you can still cash flow 

  • Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2016 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes
    7y

    Can you do this again and again?  If so, refinance and roll.  Just be sure to keep reserves, cash flow, and prudent debt.

  • Rental Property Investor · St. Paul, MN · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    7y

    It all depends on your goals. If it was me, I would be refinancing and using that money to buy another deal. 

  • Member since 2019 · 11 posts · 9 votes
    7y

    I can do this over and over, yes. My buddy and I work on the property. We don’t hire our contractor help.

    That being said, I am hesitant to move so quickly though. I need to pay down some debt first. Ensure proper cash flow and keep an oh oh reserve fund in the meantime. Then, when the time is right (and the property is right!) I will make my next move through refinancing the property.

    I guess I just play the waiting game for now.

  • Rental Property Investor · St. Paul, MN · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Ryan Dunne Ewing:

    I can do this over and over, yes. My buddy and I work on the property. We don’t hire our contractor help.

    That being said, I am hesitant to move so quickly though. I need to pay down some debt first. Ensure proper cash flow and keep an oh oh reserve fund in the meantime. Then, when the time is right (and the property is right!) I will make my next move through refinancing the property.

    I guess I just play the waiting game for now.

      Why not refinance the property and buy another property that will cash flow enough to pay for your debt payments?

  • Member since 2019 · 11 posts · 9 votes
    7y

    @Todd Dexheimer

    There’s a second lien holder involved (I borrowed the down payment). I have to pay that off first before I can refinance.

  • Rental Property Investor · St. Paul, MN · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Ryan Dunne Ewing:

    @Todd Dexheimer

    There’s a second lien holder involved (I borrowed the down payment). I have to pay that off first before I can refinance.

     You would pay that off at refi if there is enough equity. If there is not enough equity, then sell it now to get out from underneath it. Using your original post it sounded as if you had a bunch of equity. 

  • Member since 2019 · 11 posts · 9 votes
    7y

    @Todd Dexheimer I’m building equity in it quickly. It’s cash flowing heavily. I have surplus capital to throw down on the second lien. Second lien will be paid off in the next 10 months.

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