Keep as rental or sell for profit?

[James York]

I own 4 contiguous lots and I'm building 4 identical homes. To date, I've always sold the homes, but I've considered keeping them as rentals. Without getting in to all the numbers, I can essentially build and refinance with 75% LTV to recover all (or within $5k) of my costs. What stays in is the would-be profit of about $26k per house. Home value will be about $180k and rent for $1300-1350. I like the lower maintenance of the new homes and the long term income, but I'm wondering if it makes more sense to sell and Brrrr something else. Also, capital gains on the sale are a significant concern that makes holding appealing. I appreciate the feedback!

[Michael Noto]

Those are good numbers for a rental, especially a brand new home that you know the ins and outs of. 

Keep them and milk the period where there should be low maintenance costs and then when the homes become vacant assess the market then if it is a good idea to sell or not at that point. You should also be able to attract quality tenants to brand new homes which is an added benefit along with the lower maintenance.