I’m a bit of a nerd with an analytical streak, attempting to break out of my shell and be more social—so if you see me in real life, get ready for a nerd trying to be outgoing!

Make sure you’re clear on how financing works and what your monthly payments will look like.Property Condition: Assess the age of the property, maintenance history, and any potential repairs or upgrades that might be needed.Due Diligence: Work with professionals, like a home inspector and a trusted real estate agent, to ensure the property is sound and fits your investment goals.Analyze the Neighborhood: The location can make or break your investment.

Hey everyone,I'm a foreign investor looking to break into the Pittsburgh real estate market.

Let’s break it down with your example and explore the financing options.Max Leverage (Using a Lender for 90% Purchase and 100% Rehab):Purchase Loan: 90% of $80,000 = $72,000Rehab Loan: 100% of $25,000 = $25,000Total Loan Amount: $97,000Your Cash Investment:Down Payment: 10% of $80,000 = $8,000Closing Costs and Fees: Estimate around 3-5% of the purchase price = $2,400 - $4,000Holding Costs: Property taxes, insurance, utilities, and interest during rehab (estimate $1,000 - $3,000)Contingency Fund: 10-15% of rehab costs = $2,500 - $3,750Total Cash Needed: $8,000 (down payment) + $2,400 - $4,000 (closing costs) + $1,000 - $3,000 (holding costs) + $2,500 - $3,750 (contingency) = $13,900 - $18,750Moderate Leverage (Using a Lender for 90% Purchase and 0% Rehab):Purchase Loan: 90% of $80,000 = $72,000Your Cash Investment:Down Payment: 10% of $80,000 = $8,000Rehab Costs: $25,000Closing Costs and Fees: Estimate around 3-5% of the purchase price = $2,400 - $4,000Holding Costs: Property taxes, insurance, utilities, and interest during rehab (estimate $1,000 - $3,000)Contingency Fund: 10-15% of rehab costs = $2,500 - $3,750Higher Equity (Using a Lender for Less than 90% Purchase):If you decide to put more equity into the deal by using less leverage, you will need more cash upfront, but your loan amount and, subsequently, your interest payments will be lower.

So it's possible that the other insurers just don't want to insure your house for some reason and their way of telling you that is to give you a crazy high quote.A body of mine that owns a large portfolio is insured through Vermont Mutual or something like that.

Is there anything in that price range in those areas that would be cash flow positive or break even at that price range.

But, if 0.25-0.50% more in rate for a DSCR loan is "breaking" your deal, then you are already losing as it is.My two cents.Cheers!

I am thinking more BRRRR strategy right now as that seems to be one of the best ways to break into real estate.

The user in question was subsequently banned from the forums for a second time, they reached out to me directly to dispute the ban but as of now the ban is still in effect for breaking the rules of the forums. 

The median sale price increased month over month breaking the trend of decreasing median sale price the past two months.The rental market continued to moderate in Q3 2024 thanks in part to the increase in units being built. 1,815 units were completed in the year ending with Q3 2024 with 1,447 expected to be completed in the next four quarters.These new units brought online in the past year increased the overall inventory by 3.4%, however by Q3 2025 we anticipate demand to outpace supply by over 550 units.With this increase in units over the past year we have seen the occupancy rate moderate at 95.8%, down from the high of 98.9% in 2022.