Single Family vs Multi-Unit for Rental Properties

[Tim Porsche]

Hey All,

Just curious to get opinions and thoughts from you on what makes a better rental property. I know there are pros and cons to single families and multi-units, and I'm still undecided what direction I want to take long term. Right now I have a single family I purchased for $122,000 that has a positive cash flow of about $350\month after EVERY expense has been considered, as well as an allowance given for capex and maintenance of 10%. I just bought a duplex as well which I'll be moving into in the near future. So in general multi-units will give you a better return on your investment, but take more time and energy to manage right? What other pros and cons are there to each type of property? Do you invest mainly in single family homes or multi-units, and what are the reasons for your choice?

[Jeff B.]

Time and effort for duplex is trivial & comparable to an SFR, so that's a push.

I have a 6-unit MFU and that is a bit more effor, but the advantage is the expenses amortize better and the vacancies have less impact to your cash flow. My break even point has been 50% occupancy and has never fallen to that. The SFR vacancy produces 100% red ink until you get that solved :)