BRRR Have WE GONE TOO FAST? A Financial Diary

BRRR Have WE GONE TOO FAST? A Financial Diary

Hartsdale, NY · Member since 2015 · 874 posts · 218 votes

We started last year and bought our first 2 side by side  Duplexes.  We did not have enough money at that time to renovate them but they were occupied and they cash flowed about $20,000 a year.  We bought the 2 of Them for $334.000 and they needed about $35,000 worth of renovations.   We have had to put back all of the cash flow into renovations and will have to continue to do that for an additional 9 months before we see the cash flow as we still have approx $16,000 more in renovations and then we will first start seeing our positive cash flow.  We like the town and feel there is appreciation on this property but we still have to wait 9 months to finish this and see any money here although the renovations are being paid for with the positive cash flow.

The problem is we have continued to buy.  We now have another Duplex under contract that we intend to BUY Renovate Rent and Refinance. We are paying cash for the duplex and  cash for the renovations.   This town is not as good and has lots of renters and it might take us 2 months to renovate and rent the 2 apartments and then we are going to go to a bank that has told us we can refinance.  We hope this will work as the Bank indicated it would be something that they would do.

We also have under contract another 2 duplexes (4 apartments) that we have a conventional mortgage on.  These 2 duplexes are rather new and in perfect condition and will cash flow.  They are occupied but one person has a lease for only $950 when the rent should be $1,100 and his lease runs for one more year.  The problem is we are getting a little nervous that we have expanded too fast.  We self manage.  

So in a little over one year we own the 2 duplexes that still need more renovation and we have 3 other duplexes under contract.

Have we bitten off too much.  What is the worse that can happen?  Perhaps the single duplex that we have to renovate and then refinance will be a problem?  Should we have gone slower?  But we are all in now.  What do the experienced BRRR think? 

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Real Estate Investor · Owen Sound, Ontario · Member since 2013 · 53 posts · 25 votes
11y

Barring something catastrophic (fire with no insurance, construction worker dies on your job site, etc.), the worst that can happen is that you simultaneously go over-budget on your renovations, lose tenants and fail to refinance.

If you have significant cash reserves, you will be fine. If you don't have significant reserves, it may be wise to open a line of credit to have extra liquidity available. Some people will probably disagree with me on this, but as long as you have liquid capital, the sky won't fall. In real estate, everybody makes money long-term; the trick is keeping your head above water in the mean time.

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  • Hartsdale, NY · Member since 2015 · 874 posts · 218 votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @Barbara G.:
    About the 2 Danbury Duplexes bought Feb 2014

    We started Feb 2014  and bought our first 2 side by side  Duplexes.  We did not have enough money at that time to renovate them but they were occupied and they cash flowed about $20,000 a year.  We bought the 2 of Them for $334.000 and they needed about $35,000 worth of renovations. 

    So far we are just finishing our 2nd roof .  The first roof cost $6,000 and the 2nd roof cost $7,000.  We have put in approx $25,000 on renovation and repairs and have about approx $13,000 more to do. 

    So total cost of house should be approx $374,000 and rent right now is $4,350 a month.  The tenants are all immigrants.  They are always a little late on paying rent but they pay.  They are no problem people and usually never complain.  We respond to any problem immediatly and consider them low maintanence people. Rent on 3 of the apartments is $1,1000 and one rents for !,050 total $4,350 rent a month.  We should consider raising their rents at least $100 when their leases are up and bring the rent roll up to $4,800 a month.  $100 more a month should give us $4,800 more income a year.

    We probably have to wait another 7 months to cash flow here or by june 2016 after we have owned it 2 1/2 years.  That's a long time to stuggle with a property?

    What do you think the tax savings would be on depreciation plus

    repairs and renovation?  Would the principal pay down be of important concequences?

  • Chris SeveneyBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Investor · VA · Member since 2015 · 21k+ posts · 19k+ votes
    10y
    One thing to research is after your 4th property (including your primary) if you do the brrr and pay cash for it and look to refi/cash out then you will need to use a portfolio lender as conventional lender doesn't allow cash out after 4 properties
    7e investments53 Reviews
  • Sherman Oaks, CA · Member since 2017 · 10 posts · 3 votes
    9y

    It's been almost 2 years... 

    How have things worked out? 

    Were you over leveraged?  

    How did your refinances go with the bank? 

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