We contract with large scale facility groups that service multiple of the markets we cover and who handle maintenance for large companies such as Nasa or Apple and large residential portfolios such as ours.

@Ryan Parnow - It is Pergo Max Montgomery Apple laminate flooring.

I think that can work IF you manually double check the comparable sales that come up, to make sure you really are comparing "apples to apples" (similar beds & baths, similar sq footage, same style of house, same neighborhood, sold within the last 6 months, etc.)I think that works for him because he's done his own comps for years (using MLS), but for a beginner I would say some caution is warranted - don't just take the "Zestimate" at face value and go from there.

Comparing a building to individual condos is like comparing apples to apricots.

If you calculate the CAP rate on one 20-unit building and include interest charges as an operating expense and I calculate the CAP rate on the 20-unit building across the street but do not include interest as an operating expense - we are not comparing apples to apples.

Even in the Big Apple!

They might have a full time handyman, blanket insurance policies, referrals and tenant overflow from other buildings they own, so you might be comparing your situation to theirs and that could be apples and oranges.

Your still young, don't let a bad apple ruin the real estate goals you have established.  

For example, I got a phone call a few months back from a father of 3 out in California, he works for Apple.

Maybe they'll start invoking mom and apple pie soon to convince people to clean up their mess.