So how many of you out there have used leverage, maybe conservatively, to increase you net worth and cash flow with real estate?

For example buy 300k property, renovate it (pay yourself essentially)  turn into 400k+ plus home, increase rents and cash flow.   

I know you can buy properties faster by leveraging money from others, but I think it increases the risk.

Only 1 CRE property on the schedule of real estate all increase risk, so your lender would combat each risk point with offering lower leverage.

All the properties I currently own (or have ever owed) are worth at least 2x the purchase price.

Alternatively, the standard third party manager is incentivized to increase revenue and only control expenses to the level of NOT being fired.  

Regardless, it is a rare large city where it is initially cheaper to purchase.However, most people use fixed financing so this will not increase.  

Here's another key...we usually want to see that someone has done similar projects in the past...or at least projects of progressively increasing complexity. 

Last fall I put offers in on some properties in Grass Valley and Nevada City at prices that would at least break even on initial cash flow, but sellers still thought it was Q1 '22 and would rather take their properties off market than sell for less than what they considered them worth. 

If the property is worth 415k and you only owe 269k why not sell it at 300-325k range and clean your hands of it if you are at the point of considering bankruptcy?