In J Scotts blog he includes closing cost and repair cost when determining Cap Rate, this is confusing me a bit.Cap Rate = NOI / Property PriceJ Scotts Blog Introduction to Real Estate Investment Analysis His example under Cap Rate looks like this:Here is the cap rate for our example property:Cap Rate = NOI / Property Price= $37,169 / $418,000= 8.89%If you look at the blog he breaks down the 418k at the top in the Cost Assumption table: I am trying hard to learn and remember these financial terms but depending on where I read I find discrepancies and it makes me crazy.As we all know the inclusion or exclusion of different factors can change the numbers and make a good deal look bad or bad deal look good.I'm just trying to get this stuff straight so I can create my spreadsheet and know its providing accurate data.

This will give you data on prices in your area and what others are asking.

And, how do you recognize through all the information you may find, the data that really matters?

A commercial leasing broker will also have data on new restaurants wanting to come into the area or exiting that want to move and lease is expiring.

Interesting data for the conversation about SF properties as a source of capital preservation, and significant (fairly reliable) appreciation.

This article didn't mention the socio-economic correlation (if any) with the groups who are seeing increased birthrates, and without that data, it's difficult to make a correlation to future real estate trends (again, assuming fair housing laws are still in effect).

Historically, appreciation has just matched inflation: Link to graph That's the inflation adjusted, long term Case Shiller home price data, updated by the NY Times.

And also by providing FACTUAL data that may have been overlooked or omitted.

If you are near the border it may be worth it to look into more but if you are not then you are pretty much stuck paying the premiums.The maps are updated as technologies, methods and data become better at predicting which areas are higher risk but that is out of your control.

And at the end of the day, it still a human being that is entering the data so it's prone to obvious mistakes.