Skip to content
×
PRO
Pro Members Get Full Access!
Get off the sidelines and take action in real estate investing with BiggerPockets Pro. Our comprehensive suite of tools and resources minimize mistakes, support informed decisions, and propel you to success.
Advanced networking features
Market and Deal Finder tools
Property analysis calculators
Landlord Command Center
$0
TODAY
$69.00/month when billed monthly.
$32.50/month when billed annually.
7 day free trial. Cancel anytime
Already a Pro Member? Sign in here
Pick markets, find deals, analyze and manage properties. Try BiggerPockets PRO.
x
All Forum Categories
All Forum Categories
Followed Discussions
Followed Categories
Followed People
Followed Locations
Market News & Data
General Info
Real Estate Strategies
Landlording & Rental Properties
Real Estate Professionals
Financial, Tax, & Legal
Real Estate Classifieds
Reviews & Feedback

All Forum Posts by: Marshall M.

Marshall M. has started 5 posts and replied 77 times.

@Obi I. I like the sound of that! I was going to say buy an apartment complex, raise the rents and refi.

Post: New Member Alert from DC

Marshall M.Posted
  • Washington, DC
  • Posts 81
  • Votes 49

@Lesley Riddick welcome!

@Nick Pisano interesting observation! What do you think was causing the softness? Maybe increased supply nearby? 

@Manuel Diaz D.C. has multifamily buildings for sale but they’re usually a little hard to find at a good price. I would also check costar, crexi, local wholesalers, etc. Here’s a link to Crexi: https://www.crexi.com/properti...

It sounds like you’re looking for a property to either buy and hold or  possibly “house-hack,” by either renting three units in a quad and living in the fourth one or by living “upstairs” with a renter in a basement unit. 


It’s hard to get a quad in D.C. that cash flows well because you’re usually competing against investors who are seeking to convert the building into condos and sell off each unit (e.g. “condo-conversions”).  they can usually pay more than a buy and hold investor. Meanwhile, a basement unit will help offset your monthly expenses but it won’t usually generate positive cash flow. What exactly are you hoping to achieve with this investment? Are you looking for an investment property, somewhere to live or a hybrid of the two? What location are you hoping to be in? This will help determine what areas to focus on.

At your price point you’ll see a lot of multi-family properties selling in Columbia Heights/Mount Pleasant between 2-3 units in the $1.0-1.5 million range. You should also see some 2-3 unit multis in the $1.0-1.4M range near Rhode Island in Eckington, Bloomingdale, etc. For slightly larger 4-units you may see some near Brookland closing at $1-1.3M and a handful in and around Trinidad in the $800k-1.0M range. Duplexes and triplexes east of the Capitol sell in the $1-1.3M range.


Keep in mind you're shopping for a property in one of the most competitive multi-family markets in the world. The multifamily cap rates in D.C. hover close to 5.0% on average and have been known to drop into the 4's. The competition is paying all cash or using very little debt to buy the buildings you're seeing listed for sale. Most of the multi unit properties on MLS will also be overpriced and it takes a little bit of leg work to not only find a deal but potentially also create one. You'll have to get historical financials, value the properties and make offers that align with your financial goals

Also side note, when it comes to cash flowing in D.C. I recommend checking two things: 1) see if you can increase rents in a building with below market rents (e.g. upon turnover) or 2) looking into D.C.‘s Section 8 housing program to try and achieve above market rents and cash flow. They publish their rental rates here: https://www.dchousing.org/vue/...


Hope that helps! Feel free to let me know if you need anything else.

Post: Questions to ask seller of tenant-occupied multi-family property

Marshall M.Posted
  • Washington, DC
  • Posts 81
  • Votes 49
Originally posted by @Shaun Grindle:

@Marshall M. By delinquency reports do you mean delinquent rent payments and if so wouldn't that be documented in the rent roll? Or might you mean any and all fees assessed because of a lack of adherence to property codes and regulations?

 The  rent rolls show how many units are occupied and what the tenants should be paying. Sometimes they don’t show a balance due so you can request a delinquency report for that.

Post: Should I change an agent?

Marshall M.Posted
  • Washington, DC
  • Posts 81
  • Votes 49

For commercial maybe try a big company like NAI, CBRE, Cushman, etc. 

Post: Sell my land in eagle rock resort pa

Marshall M.Posted
  • Washington, DC
  • Posts 81
  • Votes 49

@Sireen Shahid try hiring a real estate agent or put it on Craigslist and offer seller financing if you don’t have a mortgage on it.

Post: RE Agents: Insulting to lowball offers?

Marshall M.Posted
  • Washington, DC
  • Posts 81
  • Votes 49

@Ben Petersen go for it, send the lowballs. I suggest that instead of sending 20 offers, send 20 emails or texts and reach out to the listing agents and see if they would even consider a low offer before your agent spends a ton of his or her time writing 20 of them. You’ll have much better success. Send an email feeling out the listing agent with a price range, then have your agent send the offer if they’re willing to show it to the seller. Most agents won’t even present a low ball offer even though they’re legally supposed to because it makes them look bad in front of the seller.

Post: Finding near exact value of house

Marshall M.Posted
  • Washington, DC
  • Posts 81
  • Votes 49

@Pawan Pandey go to Redfin or Zillow switch the filters to sold listings within last year and see what shows for houses with similar features to yours. Make an excel spreadsheet and dig in. Good luck!

Post: Should I change an agent?

Marshall M.Posted
  • Washington, DC
  • Posts 81
  • Votes 49

@Anna Shan yes time to switch. A good one should be enthusiastic to work with you and provide open lines of communication.