Here are a few strategies that might help:- Leverage Industry Benchmarks: Many investors use a percentage of gross rental income as a quick estimate for operating expenses.

But my experience over the last 10 years of building new homes is that NOTHING comes down might stay the same but will rise almost annually Like Cement always goes up in Jan. 

I want to know more about the area and build a team that can help me purchase and manage properties.   

Is just the fact that no garage could be a no go for some buyers enough to build it even if it only raises the value by the actual cost?

If they’re underfunded, you could get hit with special assessments.Since you want to stay local and focus on cash flow, commercial makes sense, but have you considered industrial or flex space?

Narrow your top cities, build a local team, and refine your financial analysis to position yourself for success.Good luck!

Many of our borrowers/clients have one LLC that owns the building and another than own the operating business.

I has two GREAT property managers that immediately come to mind, one handling 5 high end high rise condos I owned in Phoenix and the other one handling a 12 unit very lower end apartment building I owned in Arlington, Texas.  

Building an ADU is not like building a structure on a vacant lot.

I want to create something that adds value to the industry, so I'm looking to build a solid foundation in this field.