Multifamily investment differs greatly from investing in a single family or in condominiums. The obvious advantage is that it allows you to generate multiple revenue streams while generating a constant appreciation of value. Instead of buying a single unit that you can rent, you'll buy an entire house or apartment building. You can choose to live in one of the units and use your income stream from the rental units to reduce or even eliminate your housing costs.
Investing in multifamily real estate allows investors to grow their portfolios more quickly than with single-family homes. Buying and maintaining 20 single-family homes would be less efficient and cost-effective than purchasing and operating a 20-unit property. Would you rather have 20 different mortgages and investment strategies or one? Some may even employ the owner-occupancy strategy initially, as a way to “really live the property management lifestyle before investing in larger multifamily properties.”. Instead of buying one property at a time, these investments allow you to purchase several properties within the same building.
By contrast, suburban properties fared better, as both secular and cyclical factors, income uncertainty, a preference for outdoor options, the need for more space, and more millennials with growing families needing schools drove demand for apartments in submarkets lower density and lower cost. Two- to four-unit multifamily properties are a great way for first-time investors to immerse themselves in the waters of rental properties, as they are typically financed by banks in the same way as single-family homes. Max Sharkansky, Co-founder and Managing Partner, oversees all aspects of the acquisition, disposal and analysis of Trion Properties properties. Properties with more than 5 units typically qualify for a different type of financing, which is usually more expensive than properties that are considered strictly residential.
A multi-family property will generally consist of owning the property and land in a registered deed. Investors should look for high-growth, high-yield areas where properties are in high demand and well-maintained neighborhoods when investing in multifamily properties. You should also consider increases in property value, monthly NOI increases, or tax breaks given to owners of multifamily properties. However, a multifamily property generally generates enough income to allow investors to hire a property manager to handle day-to-day operations and take care of necessary repairs.
Properties with a high FAR limit may be worth more, but they can also lower the value of neighboring properties if any extension blocks their views. Owning multifamily properties can be a small or large business, depending on the number of rental units the property contains. Down payment requirements also differ for conventional loans for investment properties (such as multifamily properties where you don't live). Sometimes an investor buys a multifamily property without the landlord occupying it or hiring a property manager, which can make management more time consuming, as it requires the owner to visit the unit in person to make repair and maintenance requests.
Investors can depreciate their multifamily property to offset a large portion of the rental income they collect from the property each year. If you are a multifamily investor, you have the opportunity to force the appreciation of a property to increase the income of the asset through operational efficiencies, renovations, and marketing strategies to increase the value of the property. .
