Newbie from the very expensive and growing Northern Virginia

[Jake Barney]

Hi all, I'm just getting started in investing in the Northern Virginia area (NoVA). I've been listening to the podcast and reading whatever I can get my hands on. I'm certainly inspired and anxious to start.  I've been networking with agents and property managers; looking at listings and analyzing the costs and projected incomes.  NoVA -- like many other places -- is a notoriously expensive area, but Metro continues to expand westward to the airport and beyond. 

My goal is to purchase and hold two SF Townhome's annually for under $400K However, I'm seeing is that the estimated rent is never enough to get positive cashflow. For example, a townhome listed for $325K may rent for $1,700/mo. 

Does anyone have any advice? My only thought is to expand my geographical search, but should I also be rethinking my criteria?  Am I thinking too narrowly?

-Jake

[Russell Brazil]

Stop Thinking 2 dimensionally. (Here and now)

Start thinking 4 dimensionally, how the asset performs over time.

A $325k townhouse in NoVa at 25% down has positive free cash flow of about $50 per month. 

My first rental I bought in Rockville in 2009 had free cash flow of $200 a month. Today it has free cash flow of $1700 per month. 

If you buy in a high rent growth, high appreciation location, then that minimal free cash flow can look much better over time (4 dimensionally) than it does here and now (2 dimensionally)