When planning your financial future, your goal is to gain the highest return on your investments. Therefore, real estate investors must consider all market sectors as opportunities for diversification, keep a steady eye on the future, watch for new market trends and local city zoning changes or economic development plans, and adjust their exit strategy.
Suppose you’re considering adding multi-family properties or apartment buildings to your portfolio. In that case, you should know the differences between the investments in your time, the stress, and your costs, profits, risks, and rewards. So read on as we explore the five key differences between buying an apartment building and a multi-family property in Richmond.
Financing
One of the key differences between buying an apartment building and multi-family residential property in Richmond is loan classification. Lenders classify apartment buildings with more than four residential rental units and require you to meet commercial multifamily loan terms. When there are less than four units, they are considered multi-family residential properties and processed under a single-family residential loan. Seasoned professional investors like the experts at RVA Home Buyers can provide investors with information on their loan options from various sources, from government programs to private lenders. Remember, however, that the property will be under new management, and it’s up to you as the investor to ensure the same level of performance from the investment.
Management
You’ll find a significant difference between buying an apartment building and a multi-family property in Richmond in the management style best suited to the number of units. Multi-family units and apartment buildings allow you to quickly grow your investments to the point that hiring a property management team makes economic sense. Once achieved, you’ll have more free time to focus on your real estate investment business, grow your portfolio holdings, and increase your cash flow. On the other hand, apartment complexes with 100 or more units make on-site property management an affordable option. No matter the number of holdings in your real estate portfolio, a professional management team like the team at RVA Home Buyers, can take on as much or as little all of the duties of a landlord as you like to keep your tenants happy. After all, happy tenants equate to lower turnovers and a much less stressful experience overall as an investor. The professional investors at RVA Home Buyers have spent years networking and team-building. You’ll never worry about finding reliable maintenance, repair, or cleaning services.
Income
Another key difference between buying an apartment building and a multi-family property in Richmond is that you’ll collect rent from a more significant number of tenants with an apartment building. When considering investments, determine your CAP or capitalization rate using a formula that provides you with a ratio for the net operating income and the purchase price, including any immediate repair expenses, to compare income over a year between properties. At the same time, you can predict the disposition cap rate, or what an investor should pay you for the property, at the end of the period you plan to hold the property before enacting your exit strategy. While the CAP rate is an excellent way to compare similar recently sold assets, it helps you determine value, not return. When you work with local professional investors like the team at RVA Home Buyers, we’ll guide you step by step to earning the highest possible returns for your hard-earned investment dollar.
Rent Increases
Yet another key difference between buying an apartment building and a multi-family property in Richmond is the ease with which you can increase your rental rate, keeping pace with increases in the cost of living. As a result, you raise multiple rents in one fell swoop when investing in an apartment building. Larger complexes also provide opportunities for additional income streams, such as vending machines.
Risk
Naturally, the level of risk is a key difference between buying an apartment building and a multi-family property in Richmond. However, with more significant risks come greater rewards, and when you purchase the right property, at the right price, in the right location, you can quickly increase your wealth and income stream with the proper management. Your success is our success when you work with professional investors like those at RVA Home Buyers; we care for your investments, watching over the market and local zoning and economic development that may affect your investment to help you make any necessary adjustments.
Whether you’re buying an apartment building or a multi-family property in Richmond, Let our professional investors help you find the apartment building or multi-family that best suits you, or ask about our current inventory of the best properties available in Richmond. From single-family homes to large apartment complexes, let the experienced professional investors at RVA Home Buyers answer any questions you may have or overcome any concerns, with no obligation whatsoever. Call RVA Home Buyers at (804) 420-8515.
