Multiplex vs. Multiple Single Family Houses in one community

[Nikki Yankowski]

I am an agent who spent the last three years of my career working in the rental world of Boston. Because of the pandemic I moved and am now working for a single family home builder in Northern Alabama (Hyde-Homes).

Coming from an older city I have seen thousands of different building types, styles, heating, lighting, flooring ect. Managing a huge variety of properties is A LOT OF WORK. When the Avalon came to Quincy, MA it really shook up the rental market because landlords couldn't compete with the low rents and low move in cost of a luxury building. Avalon had so many advantages a new landlord couldn't compete with. Just one example: These units were easy to maintain and manage because all their properties are in one place, what you need to replace one unit on the fly you can pull from an empty unit downstairs.

The Huntsville market has introduced me to a new type of investment buyer and property management style. Property managers we work with are buying multiple single family builds with the same features in one community. This gives them that same advantage of maintenance and repairs as the Avalon in Quincy had. I see great opportunity for any well informed landlord here because the population growth is exceeding the housing capabilities. If you get a good lead on a property in the Huntsville area it is 100% worth looking into. That being said, new builds are not the only way to make money here as a landlord but is seems pretty easy. 

I am curious to hear the thoughts of other and what advantages/ disadvantages you see in having all your doors under one roof vs. multiple identical doors in one neighborhood.