If you oversimplify it and take your total cost to close the deal / monthly savings = # of months to Break Even.

After a few candid conversations, they realized they could negotiate slightly higher rents by offering small improvments..things like better loading dock access or upgrading the security features..turning a so-so cash flow into something much healthier.When you break down your family friend’s situation, it might help to consider these angles:Selling and redeploying capitla could open up opportunities in markets where cash flow is a bit juicier.

On the other hand, if you “just” break even for 30 years on your previous primary home with 5% down.

Taking the earlier example, if you want to cashflow $120k a year, one way you could break it down is by setting a monthly target of acquiring one asset a month that cashflows $10,000.

Below that is a parlor floor, which has the highest ceiling in the building and this floor is connected to the ground floor via an interior staircase which we added doors to both ends to break up the lower duplex into two separate living areas.  

It’s a reminder of how much a good team can make or break a project.

Any time you "are trying to be nice" or "give them a break", not only do you undermine the legal foundations of your lease, you embolden the unethical tenants to move the boundary further in their favor.

So, it's the season of Advent with Christmas around the corner.

If it's really that tight, first see if you're fit to invest.Going forward, I am a post labor day to spring break REI guy.

I remember back when I was ramping up my own rental portfolio in those early-2000s San Diego days, I learned the hard way that ignoring “little” costs..like that termite treatment or the property manager’s onboarding fee..can turn what looked like a sweet deal into something that barely breaks even.Let’s say you pick up a property in one of those under-the-radar neighborhoods in Omaha or maybe on the south side of Chicago..markets I’ve seen a few colleagues dabbling in lately..you’ve got to be ready to get real about the numbers.