"Value add multifamily" is a cute term, but it will be an absolute bear of a project that will evaporate cash if you don't know what you are doing...and perhaps even if you do know what you are doing.

The local who lives there but commutes 30-60 min to another community because they can’t find a job to support their family in their town.That same local knows that a 4plex would be great on that lot that’s been vacant for 20 years and that there are at least 4 families who could benefit greatly from that development.That local knows that Ryan’s plumbing and Katie’s electrical companies that service 75% of the town really needs a new flex space to use as a shop, storage, and parking for their business so that they aren’t working out of their garage and can hire a couple of locals to work with them at the office and in the field.Development is different in our small towns but if locals aren’t the ones doing it, and developers aren’t coming, what happens to our kids futures?

On the flip side, the margins aren’t quite as high as with rehab projects.

I would request they pay rent the usual way, and then you can decide whether or not you want to utilize the app in the future. 

I would like to learn more, as I am gearing up for a new construction project myself.

When a developer can't obtain subsidies for their affordable housing projects, do they just wait until the next round of subsidies availability? 

One question for the community is: What are the next best steps I should take to further educate myself and get started in this industry to set myself up for future success?

For those who’ve used it, what strategies or sources have worked best for you when covering the difference between your loan and the total project cost?

@Grace Tapfuma I have no idea how things work in Australia but if I were you in the US…Don’t sell the business.Businesses usually sell for a much lower multiple of their products income than real estate does.To be honest, you’ve built out a lot of infrastructure to create a successful business and maybe reinvesting in it would create a much better return on investment.For which you could reinvest those future profits into real estate, once you’ve scaled your business into a money making machine that isn’t so dependent upon YOU to drive the bottom line.I had a friend (38 years old) just recently sell his medical device company for $30M dollars and now he’s using this chapter of his life to passively invest in real estate ventures.Meanwhile, I’ve been toiling out here for 19 years as a real estate investor and I’ve built a portfolio worth $18M and have a net worth of $5M at 41 years old.Sometimes the grass isn’t greener on the other side.Correct me if I’m missing something!

With conventional financing becoming more restrictive, real estate investors may turn to hard money loans for acquisitions and rehab projects.