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All Forum Posts by: Greg Scott

Greg Scott has started 73 posts and replied 3888 times.

Post: Which Areas Rent Fastest? Building a Tool to Find Out—Help Needed!

Greg Scott
#4 Real Estate News & Current Events Contributor
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • SE Michigan
  • Posts 3,970
  • Votes 5,676
Quote from @Schuyler G.:

Hi All, 

Just incase you don't make it past this sentence, my first question is.. DOES THIS EXIST? 

Summary: I’m currently working on a project to analyze rental market trends and help real estate investors, landlords, and property managers identify high-performing areas. My goal is to build a data-driven tool that provides actionable insights into which neighborhoods and property types are in the highest demand, based on metrics like:

  • Time on market: How quickly rentals are being leased.
  • Property characteristics: Bedrooms, bathrooms, size, and amenities.
  • Pricing trends: Rental rates relative to market demand and property features.
  • Visual quality: Leveraging property photos to analyze the style and condition of rentals that perform well.

The tool will allow users to:

  1. Pinpoint areas with the fastest rental turnovers.
  2. Understand what types of properties (size, price range, features) rent the quickest.
  3. Gain deeper insights into property presentation and amenities that correlate with high demand.

Thank you in advance for your feedback. I’m excited about the potential of this project and hope it can bring value to the real estate investment community.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Not to be a downer, but I'm not clear how I would utilize this metric to manage my properties.  Knowing how fast or slow things are turning would not cause me to change how I manage my business.

I'm more concerned about current market rents  All else equal, I know that by lowering my rents $50 or $100, I can lease up my units almost instantly.  In other words, I can control how quickly I lease up based on how I price my units vs the competition.  What I don't control is the market price.

The specific business situation where this may be useful is on absorption of a new apartment complex units, but then they have a metric for that, absorption.

Post: Best Bank Account for my Situation

Greg Scott
#4 Real Estate News & Current Events Contributor
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • SE Michigan
  • Posts 3,970
  • Votes 5,676

Just about any bank can open a joint account.  You are probably better off going with one that has a branch you can visit and get to know the management.

I recommend you decide, take action, and move on.  These minor details are the kind that distract people from the path of success.  This is something that can easily be changed later if needed.

Post: Business wants to rent apartments

Greg Scott
#4 Real Estate News & Current Events Contributor
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • SE Michigan
  • Posts 3,970
  • Votes 5,676

I don't know Accessible CLG, but can say that we have rented to groups like this and have not had a problem.

We have also rented to corporations who have people live there for only a few weeks at a time.  In those cases, the main criteria we add to our lease is that everyone that comes to stay there must be subject to a background check paid by the company.

Post: 32 unit multi

Greg Scott
#4 Real Estate News & Current Events Contributor
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • SE Michigan
  • Posts 3,970
  • Votes 5,676
Quote from @Jefferey Eutsay:
Quote from @Melanie P.:
Quote from @Jefferey Eutsay:

I'm considering making an offer on a 36-unit multi-family property. I have a potential private lender, but I need to determine if this is a viable investment opportunity and explore the best financing options


 You posted this same thing three times - in two it was a 36 unit and in the third a 32 unit.

Do you have any other details about the transaction or perhaps wish to share your initial analysis so the volunteers here can poke holes in it or tell you why you're right?

Based on the tenor of your posts, I've got to ask - do you have your primary residence squared away? Because that is the first investment anyone investing in real estate should make.

My apologies. 32 units. I will potentially move into one of the units for some time

Purchase Price: $1.98M

Assumable Existing Financing: $1.18M @ 3.48% ($5,563/month) Seller Carry: $300k @ 3.5% (5-Year Term)Down Payment: $525k (Buyer to Bring)Buyer pays all closing.

 At 1.98M and 32 units, that is a fairly low price per door.  That doesn't mean it is a good deal.  You still may be vastly overpaying.  Before you can tell, you need the answer to a lot of different questions and then know how to apply them:

What is the remaining term of the assumable financing?

Is it currently fully-amortizing or is there any remaining interest-only period?

What is the T12 Net Operating Income? What about T3?

How much deferred maintenance is there?

Are there any city or lender required repairs that will require an immediate injection of capital?

Are their any down units?

What is current occupancy?

What is historical occupancy?

What is historical economic occupancy?

How long does it take to evict someone in this jurisdiction?

To get a full picture, there are many, many questions you need to know the answer to, and this is only a partial list.

Post: 32 unit multi

Greg Scott
#4 Real Estate News & Current Events Contributor
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • SE Michigan
  • Posts 3,970
  • Votes 5,676

If you don't know how to evaluate whether or not it is a viable investment, why would you make an offer?

Please, please, PLEASE learn how to underwrite an apartment before taking the next step. If you don't know what you are doing there is a greater than 50% chance you are making a big mistake.  With no experience, you probably would never be presented with a good deal.  You are likely seeing only the dogs.

Post: Better to have one $600k property at 70% LTV, or four $300k properties at 95% LTV?

Greg Scott
#4 Real Estate News & Current Events Contributor
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • SE Michigan
  • Posts 3,970
  • Votes 5,676

This is an unrealistic scenario because you cannot easily find someone to give you 95% financing on four properties. 

I'm going to change the parameters of the question and assume all properties have 70% financing.  What is better?

 - One property valued at $600K?

- Two properties valued at $300K each?

- Four properties valued at $150K each?

Here are my answers:

 - It is unlikely the $600K property will provide cashflow.  In my opinion, that is a riskier bet because you have to have a big pile of cash for contingencies.  If you added in the cash you should have to protect against contingencies, the actual return goes down (or the risk sykrockets, your choice)

- If the $300K properties cashflow, definitely a better bet.  From a $ perspective you get the same amount of appreciation, depreciation, loan pay down, but here you have cashflow and if if a tenant moves out, you are only 50% vacant instead of 100% vacant.

- Generally the same logic applies as above.  If these cashflow, it is better to have 4 properties than 2.  On the other hand, if these are in terrible areas, you introduce a different kind of risk.  Assuming these are in decent areas, this is the best solution.

Post: Nightmare Tenant - This is why you need a property manager!

Greg Scott
#4 Real Estate News & Current Events Contributor
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • SE Michigan
  • Posts 3,970
  • Votes 5,676
Quote from @Phillip Austin:

One of the best examples I found this year as to why you need a property manager (especially in Colorado). This client chose not to use our services and instead, tried to self-manage their primary. This was the very first time they had rented it; brand new landlords. The home was clean and in great condition. The showings with the tenant went well and they didn't have any questions during the showing. They moved in and within 24 hours sent the following letter (names have been changed):

"Hi Dawn and Brian,
Sindy and I are frustrated, disappointed, and really struggling with the idea of moving forward with the move into your home.
We realize this is the first time you have rented a property to someone, and may not be aware of the responsibilities that landlords have, and want to inform you that there are habitability issues with the home that are quite literally against the law, pursuant to Colorado’s Warranty of Habitability Law, CRS §§ 38-12-501 et seq. See below for explanations, with headings taken from the attached document.
Broken windows or exterior doors-
The two narrow windows in the living room do not fit into the walls properly. Both screen doors upstairs do not function correctly.

Plumbing problems-
The garbage disposal in the kitchen was not cleaned, is smelly and the rubber is flipped outwards.
The bathroom sink in the smaller bedroom does not drain correctly despite us using an entire bottle of drain cleaner on it.

Common areas that are not kept clean or have garbage-
There was no attempt to clear the patio of years of accumulated debris and filth. We as tenants had to acquire a shop vac and clean it ourselves, including dragging rugs full of filth and animal hair to the dumpsters. Window ledges had debris and dirt. Spiderwebs were all over the patio, fireplace, basement and ceilings. Upon move-in, appliances, cabinets, floors and walls all had built-up grime and residue from your habitation of the home.

Infestation of bugs, pests and rodents-
There was no attempt to treat the house for pests, as evidenced by the more than 15 spiders we have already seen in the basement, and the live, active wasp nest in the patio fence.

Floors, stairways and railings in poor condition-
The carpets are stained and smelly. The carpets covering the stairs are matted down, stained, and especially smelly. The smell has not dissipated, pointing toward a bigger problem than one shampooing can fix, and because the living room carpet was still full of indents from the previous furniture it is unlikely that the carpets were properly shampooed. Furthermore, after having a dog live in the house for 3 years there is almost certainly animal urine that has soaked through the carpet into the subfloor. To remedy that, the carpets should be ripped up and sealant applied to the subfloor, at minimum.
There are also tiles in the smaller upstairs bathroom that are lifting up and creating a safety hazard; putting a rug on top is not a sufficient solution.

The house is in a condition that materially interferes with the health of household members. Tenants have dog allergies and chronic asthma; the persistent smell and the dog hair found in multiple areas so far are harmful to our health and have, can, and will exacerbate health conditions of tenants.

We believe the issues described above present a materially dangerous or hazardous condition to the health and safety of our household. We are thus asking that you fix the problems. We are within our rights as tenants to request that you initiate a fix to the problem within the next 24 hours due to the condition of the house presenting both health and safety hazards. If you are unable or unwilling to do so we may elect to terminate the lease and request a return of our deposit--which we offered in a good faith agreement that we would be presented with a habitable dwelling--and our prorated rent. If that is the path moving forward we will be left without a home as of 9/21/24 which will create incredible financial, mental, and physical stress on our part. We hope that you can remedy the situation so that we can move into a habitable home.
Suggestions that we have to fix the issues:

  • Hire a company to rip up the carpets, treat the subfloors, and replace the carpets, at least on the main level and on the stairs.
  • Provide an air purifier as a start to remedying the smell.
  • Replace the garbage disposal.
  • Hire a plumber to fix the draining issue in the bathroom sink of the smaller bedroom.
  • Fix the tiles in the upstairs bathroom so they no longer present a safety hazard.
  • Replace or fix the screen doors.
  • Fix the gap between the windows and the walls in the living room.
  • Hire a professional company to treat the entire home for pests. This is typically done 3x a year.
  • Hire a company to deep clean the washing machine, drier, and dishwasher.
  • Reimburse us for the combined 8 hours we have now spent on cleaning the home.
  • Repaint the walls, at minimum in the basement.
  • Prorate our rent for the days we are unable to be in the home due to the current issues and any repair time.

Please let us know how you would like to proceed.
Thank you,Sindy and Cary"

You need a professional property manager!

Wow. That was quite a letter. 

This was clearly a "professional" tenant.  They have probably done that same thing multiple times over the past decade.  As soon as they make a house unlivable, time to move to the next uneducated landlord.   OUCH.

Post: BOI Report deadline and the enforcement of penalties are back as of 12/31/2024

Greg Scott
#4 Real Estate News & Current Events Contributor
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • SE Michigan
  • Posts 3,970
  • Votes 5,676

Sean:

I did not troll your post. I just pointed out that at that time, the court suspended the requirement about a week before your post.  You did not seem to know that.

You then suggested I had something to hide for not wanting to file the CTA BOI, and I informed you I had previously filed.

Thank you for notifying us that it has been reversed. 

Post: Industrial real estate operators

Greg Scott
#4 Real Estate News & Current Events Contributor
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • SE Michigan
  • Posts 3,970
  • Votes 5,676
I haven't found many here.
I suggest you check out Chad Griffiths and Jonathan Hayek.  Both have good podcasts on Industrial.

Post: Good Cause Eviction Law Passed - 3 Things You Need To Know

Greg Scott
#4 Real Estate News & Current Events Contributor
Posted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • SE Michigan
  • Posts 3,970
  • Votes 5,676

Good post. New news for me.  Thankfully I have no property in NY.

I loved this quote which shows just how clueless people are about housing issues:

“Housing instability is at the root of so many problems facing our city, such as exacerbating homelessness and hunger, failing to meet our children’s educational needs, and undermining public safety,” said the CWTU in a statement. “Passing Good Cause is not only a step toward tackling these systemic issues—it is the vital foundation to any meaningful action.”

In a free market economy, how will those providing housing react to a law that forces them to house non-paying tenants for free?  Any rational landlord will double or triple their screening efforts because nobody wants to accidentally put a deadbeat in their property.  Any prospective resident with bad credit or a prior eviction is going to have an impossible time finding a place to live.  

I predict this bill will increase homelessness in Rochester NY or will force people to move outside of the city to find housing.