I think of the advertised prices as more of an optimistic scenario.

Also there are weather issues with Indiana winters and pipes possibly freezing, thunderstorms and hail damage2) Knowing how long to hold onto a property, 1031 exchange it to another property or DST, or in some cases sell it and pay the small capital gains tax (if any) to have less headache. 3) Underwriting the deal incorrectly (factors: local appreciation, rate of rental increase, economic growth, gentrification of area) and being overly optimistic (a renovated 100 year old home is still going to have problems).

There are exceptions, but generally speaking, you will spend a lot of time to gain no equity and likely end up break even with a bunch of used furniture in an optimistic scenario in my honest opinion.

.:) am I too optimistic? 

Hi @James Devoe, I wouldn't be optimistic about being able to refinance or sell to someone using a mortgage.

However, two oversights have affected my calculations: (Both dumb mistakes I can only blame myself for)Higher-than-expected property taxes and municipal fees in University Heights compared to Cleveland proper.Overly optimistic rental income estimates.After adjusting for these factors, including property management costs and other expenses, the revised cash-on-cash return is about $12,000 annually, slightly over 5%.

I’ve been wondering that same thing.Seems to me when comparing candidate investments, why would I pay more for an investment with risk and work (5% Cap multifamily), than a risk-free passive investment (5% CD or T-Bill).Note that going from a cap rate of 5% to 10% is a 50% drop in price…that’s significant…easy to see why a seller isn’t willing to give a higher return.I’ve asked the question before and gotten answers like it’s because investor borrowing costs vary, and you must consider future rent growth and appreciation … I guess if you have low borrowing costs and are optimistic about the future a 5% cap rate makes sense.

Quote from @Michael Smythe: @Nicole Sweat Martel stopped referring our company because we wouldn't support their optimistic numbers on purchase price, rehab budget, ARV and rent.We also dealt with a lot of novice investors who didn't seem to want to take the time to understand the process and the challenges.ALL investors should understand that when renovating old homes, there are unexpected surprises that no one could predict.

So I am optimistic hoping I have the scale to do something like this, but its realistic enough to be worth looking into it.

From a tenant's perspective, they could be looking for stability (the optimistic option) or a deal (the pessimistic option).