At XSITE Capital, we believe that investing in multifamily properties can be one of the greatest wealth building tools, but we also recognize that one of the main things that holds people back is knowing where to start.
Choosing to invest in a multifamily property is a huge decision that can impact your wealth – both positively or negatively depending on your choice – which is why it’s so important to do your due diligence before committing to an investment.
Investing in multifamily properties can be a lucrative opportunity for both new and seasoned investors when done correctly, so to help you grow the confidence you need for selecting properties to invest in, this blog breaks down 4 important factors to consider when choosing an investment.
The location of a multifamily property is crucial to its success because you want to ensure the property is situated in a desirable and safe neighborhood that has potential for growth.
It’s important for multifamily properties to be in areas with quality transportation, access to amenities, low crime rates and a strong job market.
When most of these boxes are checked, you can generally expect for the property to do well for years to come and that the tenant demand will remain high throughout the duration of your investment.
Additionally, when your investment property is located in a desirable area, you can typically expect rent prices to rise year after year, which means you could potentially earn even more than initially expected on your investment, which is a huge win!
In addition to location, the condition of the property is another important factor to consider when choosing which multifamily property to invest in.
If you choose a property that requires a ton of updates or maintenance, there’s a chance that your return on investment (ROI) will decrease due to the financial requirements of the updates needed.
When initially inspecting a property, you typically want to consider:
When you examine each of these areas, you’ll be able to determine if they are a one time fix or if they will require continual maintenance year after year.
From there, you can weigh the risk versus reward and clearly determine if the property is a good fit for your investment portfolio.
The entire point of investing is to put your money into a place where you will see an even greater return, but in order for that to happen, you must choose avenues that are able to provide you with that outcome.
Generally speaking, multifamily investing is able to do that! That’s why we are huge advocates of this type of investing here at XSITE Capital.
With that, however, we also recognize that not all investments are created equal and before choosing to invest in a multifamily property you need to know the financial facts, which involves the history of the property AND the forecasted income for the future.
To get a solid understanding of a property’s financial history, you want to make sure that you review the property’s past income and expenses. This will give you a great snapshot of what the property is capable of.
After that, it’s important to also consider the potential for growth!
Oftentimes, investment companies (such as us here at XSITE Capital) will buy properties with the help of investors and create a value add plan that increases the desirability of the property, thus increasing the potential for growth.
With these considerations, you can better determine your ROI and ultimately decide if the property is a good fit for you!
Next, you want to consider the vacancy rates and number of units, since these two items directly impact your ROI as an investor.
As an investor, you likely want to invest in a property that has a higher number of units so that you can expect a greater return.
It looks like this:
The higher number of units = the higher number of tenants = higher income from rent = greater return for YOU!
In addition to the number of units, you also want to explore the past vacancy rates of a property in order to understand the history of how the property has performed in the past.
Past rates can sometimes be a good indicator of the overall desirability of a property.
When investing, you typically want to be involved with a property with low vacancy because, again that means higher profits for you as an investor.
Something to remember, however, is that if a property has high vacancy rates that could be due to mismanagement, poor maintenance, outdated features, etc. and oftentimes this can be fixed with a new value add plan that new owners propose.
Because of this, sometimes you have to use your best judgment and decide for yourself if the property has potential for growth and if it does, the reward might outweigh the risk in the end!
Conducting this research on your own can be overwhelming, which is why investors often prefer to join forces with investment groups that take the guesswork of this process.
At XSITE Capital, we do just that and take our market research very seriously when choosing a property!
When choosing a multifamily property to add to our portfolio, we specifically look at:
Here’s a closer look at our market and property selection process:
We won’t move forward with a deal if it doesn’t meet our standards because we know our investors are counting on us!
Overall, investing in multifamily properties can be a great way to generate passive income and build wealth, but it’s always important to carefully consider these four factors before making any investment decisions.
By doing so, you can increase your chances of success and minimize potential risks!
At the end of the day, we believe that when you have the proper education and support, you can confidently start your own multifamily investment journey.
If you’re looking to start your investment journey and have the right people on your side along the way, we’re here for you.
The XSITE Investors Community is for accredited investors where you can receive:
Today, XSITE Capital currently has over $168 million portfolio value, has helped empower and grow over 1,000 minds and proudly has over 800 doors under management.
We welcome new investors daily and would love to welcome you!
Interest rates, inflation and a recession have been the talk of the country for a large portion of 2022 and as a commercial real estate investor, it’s important that you know what each of these economic hits can mean for you and your investments.
As an investor, interest rates, inflation and a recession all play a huge role in your current and future investments so it’s important that you understand the basics of each and how exactly they all work together so you can remain confident in how you handle your money.
First things first, let’s talk about interest rates.
Throughout the year, interest rates have been ebbing and flowing and each week it seems like we’re seeing something different.
The Fed introduced its first rate hike in March of 2022 and they have continued to raise the rate from there.
As an investor, it’s important to pay attention to interest rates because they directly affect how much money you can borrow and ultimately determine how much you will end up paying back in the future.
Simply put, the interest rate is the amount you are ultimately charged for borrowing money and it’s shown as a percentage of the total amount of the loan.
This is why when interest rates are low, people are typically more quick to invest. When interest rates are high, on the other hand, people tend to become a bit more wary and start to consider if the investment is worth the extra amount of money they’ll owe towards their loans.
So, what exactly causes interest rates to rise?
The main cause of rising interest rates is inflation and inflation happens whenever there’s a high demand for products and services from consumers. This demand causes prices to rise and this concept is commonly referred to as demand-pull.
Another reason that inflation can occur is what they call cost-push. This is when supply costs to create products or deliver services forces prices to rise.
When inflation occurs, we typically see a few things start to happen:
Inflation is also directly linked to a recession, which means that people become very wary of where their money is going.
The good news for you as a commercial real estate investor is that your investment is typically recession resistant in this industry.
The reason being is because one of the main things to go for people during a recession is their expensive mortgage, especially if they’re living far above their means, which means that the demand for apartment rentals or other multifamily properties will see a significant increase.
Additionally, recessions can also make it more difficult for people to receive proper loans that they need to buy a house, so many people will be forced to continue renting.
In fact, history has shown that even though the housing market as a whole tends to take a hit during economic downturns, rental markets remain steady and even outperform other investments.
Essentially, rising interest rates, inflation and a recession can actually boost the cash flow that you receive from your current commercial real estate investments thanks to more tenants occupying the property.
So, what does this mean for your future investments?
Now that you know how your current commercial real estate investments can be affected by interest rates, inflation and a recession, you might be wondering how those three things can affect your future investments, as well.
The biggest challenge that high interest rates can cause for new commercial real estate deals is that the supply can decrease during economic downturns.
It’s for this reason that we always encourage investors to join a trusted Investor’s Club like XSITE Capital’s so that you aren’t having to do the up front research for new deals on your own.
Instead, you can sit back and know that other people are doing that work for you so that you can invest your money into a deal that has been heavily researched and you can trust that you will see a healthy ROI.
Another challenge that high interest rates and inflation can present for new investments is that the financing process may be a bit more difficult than usual.
Generally speaking, the financing process for commercial real estate is much more simple than if you were to invest in single-family properties because these investments aren’t as risky for banks.
The reason for this is because banks can confidently predict that the cash flow will be consistent and steady for a property with multiple tenants versus a property that only houses an individual or one family.
However, during economic downturns banks can become a bit more wary with how they loan their money, so you can expect the financing process to be a bit more challenging during tough economic times.
With that, you still have a much greater chance of getting approved for what you need for commercial real estate investments versus single family properties, so don’t let this challenge steer you away.
Overall, investing in commercial real estate specifically during economic downturns is still a smart move.
In fact, it’s been said that most millionaires are MADE during recessions and the reason for that is because when most people become fearful and stop spending their money, other people use this time as an opportunity to invest their money into places that will perform higher when the economy returns to normal.
While investing during economic downturns is encouraged, it’s important to remember that not all investment opportunities are created equal. For example, the stock market can be a bit unpredictable during this time, but commercial real estate on the other hand has proven to be trustworthy decades after decades and remains fairly stable regardless of the economic state.
The reason for this is because housing will always be a basic necessity and properties will continue to appreciate in value. This is great news for you as an investor and can give you peace of mind when it comes to where you’re putting your money.
As you continue to navigate the economic changes, we encourage you to join the XSITE Capital Investors Club so you can be among the first to get access to new commercial real estate deals and be among the few who use this time as an opportunity to thrive rather than just survive.
We’re here to support you along the way!
– The XSITE Capital Team
Many people hear about multi-family investing, but they don’t fully realize the benefits that come with it.
So, let’s breakdown the 6 major benefits of multi-family investing
1. Multi-family real estate is a recession-resilient investment.
Most investors are expecting a recession following the effects of the current pandemic and with stocks soaring, many are also considering whether it’s a bubble.
But one investment that stands the test of time during bear and bull markets is multifamily real estate investments.
So, if you’re looking for an option to round out your investment portfolio, this is a good place to start.
2. Demand for apartment rentals is rising.
According to the Pew Research Center, more households are renting now than at any time in the past 50 years.
Between the 10-year period from 2006 to 2016, the number of households grew, but renters outpaced homeowners in that growth.
Fast forward 4 years later to 2020, and the US Census Bureau indicates that rental vacancy rates have decreased and median asking rent continues to increase.
The asking price for sale units has also decreased.
While the economic downturn will impact apartment demand, the overall growth rate is sufficient to absorb new supply entering the market.
3. Apartments offer a steady stream of income.
The statistics show that the apartment rental market continues to increase in demand and, therefore, value.
So, you have an opportunity to diversify your investments into an option that delivers a steady income stream which you can expect each month.
Apartment or multifamily units offer better economies of scale and thus higher returns on investment.
As of August 2020, the NCREIF Property Index estimated annualized returns over a 5 year period on real estate investment at 5.79%.
4. They are true passive income sources.
We’re often told that wealth starts with building passive income streams, where your money continues to work for you and nowhere is this more evident than in a multi-family investment.
Without needing to lift a finger to maintain your properties, your investment in a multifamily unit(s) continues to yield income month over month, plus your property continues to appreciate as time goes by.
5. Multifamily investing has many tax benefits.
Multifamily real estate investment offers high tax-advantages that many people don’t know about.
If you use a mortgage to finance your investment (which most savvy investors do) you can take a high mortgage deduction in the first year of ownership.
Then, you can depreciate the property, which means you can set off this depreciation against your rental income.
This alone makes multifamily real estate investing an attractive option, especially for those savvy with the tax laws.
6. There are multiple ways to get involved in multifamily investment.
There are multiple ways to get involved in this type of real estate investment including the most passive route and invest via syndication or you can invest in a multifamily fund or a real estate investment trust (REIT).
If you want to learn more about how to get started in multi-family real estate investing, here are two ways to get started:
1. Join the XSITE Capital Investment Club
2. Attend one of our free Monthly Meetups
3. Dive into our resources including, the XSITE Capital Blog or connect with us on LinkedIn
To become successful at multi-family investing, you need to increase your knowledge and you can start with these top 5 books on multi-family real estate investing.
We’ve also added two bonus books that tackle more of a general mindset.
All these recommendations are beginner friendly.
1. Invest in Apartment Buildings: Profit Without the Pitfalls by Theresa Bradley-Banta
Bradley-Banta quickly dispels the real estate investing misconceptions that most persons have and dives into how to become successful at investing in multifamily buildings.
This book is only if you’re seriously committed to making real estate investment work for you.
2. Best Ever Apartment Syndication Book by Joe Fairless and Theo Hicks
We are big on syndication here at XSITE Capital, so it’s natural that we would recommend a book on the subject.
This book is one of Amazon’s highest-rated real estate investing books based on average customer reviews.
If you’re ready to upgrade your property investment game in a logical step, then this book is an excellent guide.
It’s an in-depth look at building a real estate investment business from concept to execution. It does, however, focus on syndication with an exit in mind, whereas we generally look for permanent holds.
Written by an active real estate investor, this is a detailed guide made with the intention to stop readers from failing at real estate investing.
We advocate for generating wealth using passive income streams, so we appreciate his sections on achieving real estate success “without touching a toilet, paintbrush, or broom.”
Turner also hosts the BiggerPockets Podcast.
4. Mastering the Art of Commercial Real Estate Investing by Doug Marshall
Trying to decide between residential or commercial real estate investing? Marshall’s book looks at the benefits and pitfalls of commercial real estate.
Marshall has extensive experience in the industry and can, therefore, write from a first-hand perspective.
5. The Complete Guide to Buying and Selling Apartment Buildings by Steve Berges
On the other hand, there’s residential multifamily investing, which Berges goes into detail on the topic.
This book is good for beginners and seasoned, professional investors alike. Now in its second edition, it has added information on tax planning and sample forms to help to understand the investment process.
6. Wheelbarrow Profits by Jake Stenziano and Gino Barbaro
We love this book at XSITE Capital and recommend it frequently to our friends, family and new investors.
In this book, the authors explain why multifamily investing is so lucrative and how you as an investor can take advantage of this opportunity.
Even if you’re an experience investor, this book is an excellent resource on understanding your market, finding your niche, and growing your portfolio.
The right mindset is necessary if you want to be successful at real estate investing. That’s why, in addition to the real estate books we’ve listed above, you should make time to read the following.
7. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
Kiyosaki compares 2 types of dads. The “poor dad” teaches you to follow the traditional viewpoints on money – go to college, get a 9-5 job, work until retirement, while the “rich dad” teaches you to become independently wealthy where you invest and build assets.
8. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
This book clearly illustrates many of the principles that underpin multi-family real estate investing:
● Start thy purse to fattening. It is not what you earn; it’s what you keep.
● Make thy gold multiply. Clason here speaks to having more than one income source and that wealth comes from a reliable income stream. Embrace passive income generation and make your money work for you.
● Increase thy ability to earn. Clason encourages you to put yourself in a position to make more money. This means improving your skills and knowledge.
We believe the first step in growing your wealth is growing your mind, so we encourage you to dive into these books above along with various topics on the XSITE Capital blog.
If you’re new to multi-family real estate investing, and you’re looking for resources to help you get started, these are 7 of the top multi-family real estate investing blogs to get you started.
We believe that in order to grow your wealth, you must first grow your mind!
It’s important to read and gather different perspectives. So, while the principles of multi-family investing are the same, each firm’s approach and results are different.
Therefore, it pays to understand the different approaches and your options.
These 7 multi-family investing blogs are solid foundational and intermediate resources to learn multifamily real estate investment.
MultifamilyBiz is an open media platform offering a mixture of multifamily investment, marketing, and current affairs posts.
Similar to the Forbes.com model, most posts are submissions from various experts in the multifamily industry.
With over a million monthly visitors to their blog, they are one of the top online spaces for resources and information on all aspects of multi-family investing.
Like MultifamilyBiz, Multifamily Executive is a blog website featuring posts from various real estate and multifamily investment experts. As such, its posts range from in-depth, granular pieces to shorter, current affairs or news stories.
Some of the topics they look at include Business & Finance, Property Management, and Technology.
Multifamily Partner is a training site with a well thought out blog.
They know their niche and the majority of their posts reflect that – apartment investing. Their focus is on what they term the commercial multifamily investing ecosystem.
A mixture of blog posts and podcast episodes, their multifamily real estate blog focuses on educational and training material for new investors and those looking to scale.
Starting from a conversation between friends, Jake and Gino’s business has morphed into one of the most easily found multifamily investment blogs on the internet.
Headed by a husband and wife duo, Think Multifamily is a multifamily acquisition and education company.
Their multi-family investing blog is intended for two audience types – newbies to multifamily investment, and people looking for investment opportunities. The posts are more of a personal nature written from the perspective of the owners.
Though a general real estate investment blog and not specialized in multifamily investment, Than’s Blog offers applicable resources to help you understand the general real estate industry.
It focuses on both residential and commercial real estate investing, so if you’re interested in one or both, it’s a good place to enhance your online learning experience.
The XSITE Capital multifamily investment blog is one of the more recent blogs to enter the online multifamily investment space. We are now making it a priority to start sharing all we have learned in this business.
We are one of the very few black-owned multifamily investment companies in the U.S.
As a multi-family investment firm in the truest sense of the term, we have built a strong, passive investment portfolio. and focus on investment opportunities as well as multifamily education!
These are by no means the only blogs online that can guide you in your multifamily real estate investment journey, but they are all a great start and can get you up to speed quickly.
Here at XSITE, we update our blog monthly with new posts for you to dive into!
If you’re like us, learning about the tremendous upside to investing in multi-family properties is exciting.
The reality is it can dramatically increase your passive income streams over the next 2-7 years.
Life is busy though, and sorting through the details can feel overwhelming. To help ease some of that overwhelm, here are a few benefits to consider when considering whether or not to invest in multifamily real estate.
1. Apartment values are based on net income, not market comparables.
This is one of the most impressive benefits of multifamily investing.
Consider that in a 150 unit apartment complex, raising the rent by just $15/month increases the total property value by more than $385,000. [(150 units X $15 X 12 months) / 7% Cap Rate].
Let’s see your Hedge fund manage that!
2. Returns usually beat the stock market.
If you had invested $1 in the stock market in 2002, you’d have about $2 in 2018 (taking inflation into account).
That’s no way to plan for a future of passive income for you and your family.
3. Multifamily syndication loans are NEVER dependent on your income or credit.
Multifamily syndication loans are based on the value of the property, not your own personal assets.
In other words, investment in multifamily syndication allows you to get into a growth position with extremely limited personal liability.
Passive investors do not sign on loans in a multifamily syndication.
4. Multifamily investments are usually LESS VOLATILE than single-family investments.
During recessions, rent typically remains much more stable than home prices.
And as homeowners are displaced due to rising mortgage rates and/or job losses during recessions, they turn to apartments, leaving multifamily values with small declines at worse and thriving at best during flat/negative markets.
5. Multifamily investing is a growing market.
Millennials aren’t buying homes at expected rates and their preference for renting started before the 2008 economic crisis.
Meanwhile, retiring baby boomers are moving to urban apartments, perhaps to be near their children who have opted for city living, or to take advantage of the perks of city life themselves.
Finally, the overall market is shifting to a rental environment.
Homeownership rates are falling, and have been falling for over 12 years. Even the National Association of Realtors has acknowledged this reality – it’s being referred to as the Great Housing Reset.
Even if you’re an inexperienced investor, now is a great time to learn more about investing in multi-family properties!
If you’re thinking about investing in multifamily real estate, there are 6 main questions to ask the investment group you’re working with to ensure it’s a good fit.
We ultimately believe that multifamily apartment investing is one of the smartest things you can potentially do with your capital because the properties typically hold their value over time and they usually increase in value based on income (not comparables) while also offering excellent risk-adjusted ROI.
That said, there’s a lot to consider when deciding whether or not to become a multifamily property investor. Here are some important factors to consider:
1. How long does it take to recoup an investment in a multifamily apartment complex?
Typically, you’ll receive quarterly dividends for your investment after an initial stabilization/rehab period.
Additionally, syndication companies such as XSITE Capital project that your investment will double in 5-6 years.
If you’re looking for a highly liquid investment, multifamily investing is likely not for you.
If you’re looking for a comparatively high rate of return via an attractive risk-adjusted investment vehicle however, multifamily investing is one of the best options on the market!
2. Will I have to do any work on the property once I invest?
One of the best things about working with an investment group like XSITE Capital is that we employ a professional team to manage the property.
What means to you as an investor is you can simply invest the initial funds and then watch your investment return dividends and equity gains!
3. How much of the split will I keep as an investor?
The answer to this question will always depend on the property, but it’s a great question to consider before investing.
One of our most recent investment, The Griffin at Petworth in Washington, D.C, offered an 80/20 split for investors.
Others may do 70/30 or 60/40 splits with the most going to investors.
4. What is the minimum investment?
Again, each property is different, but typically there is a $50,000 minimum investment, while some properties may offer $25,000 minimums.
5. What are the tax implications of multifamily investing?
When you invest in multifamily properties, you can typically expect prorated depreciation benefits that can lower your taxes.
We advise that you discuss your specific tax situation with a CPA to learn how your personal finances will be impacted.
For more general tax benefits that you can expect with multifamily investing, click here.
5. How do I choose the right property?
Choosing the right multifamily property depends on your goals.
First, you need to decide whether you’re more focused on short-term or long-term gains.
Class A properties will have more long term gain, while Class C will have more short term gains but a shorter project lifespan. Here’s a breakdown of the differences in each Class type.
Second, decide how much you want to invest and find the right syndication company that will offer a competitive ROI.
It’s best to discuss your options with a professional and we’re always here to help!
Overall, investing in multifamily properties can be a great addition to your portfolio, but doing your due diligence before making that move is advised.
