WIIRE 027: What We Look for in an Investment Property with Amelia & Grace

Hello friends! We’re excited to dive into this week’s podcast episode content because it’s another episode that YOU, our amazing listeners, asked for! It also is on our list of most common questions we receive so in this episode we’re sharing exactly what we look for (including red flags) in an investment property. 

For us, knowing what to look in an investment property for has become second nature when we are analyzing deals, but if you are someone who is just starting out you likely have no idea where to even start - and that is totally okay!

First, we’re going to talk about what we look for in single-family properties. Amelia is one who is really never looking for a single-family home, but when she does, give her the smelliest house you can find, especially for those that need cosmetic updates as well. Amelia loves the phrase ‘smells like money’ because even a smell can scare off buyers, and often times it’s not that hard to get rid of odors. 

Grace tends to also look for houses that stink, because again, a smell can be gotten rid of with some work. Also, those tend to have less competition in a buyer pool. Grace also has learned that she now stays away from houses with less-than-desirable layouts or funky driveways, especially when the house is on a busy road. 

We both love houses that are packed full of ‘stuff’. In many cases, buyers can’t see past the junk and all you have to do is remove the junk and there can be so much opportunity behind it. A few other things we stay away from are houses with foundation issues, bad neighbors, and those that are located in less-than-desirable neighborhoods/locations. 

Moving onto multi-family homes, we agree that houses with funky driveways and interior layouts, monster/Frankenstein-converted houses, properties with little to no off-street parking, and common areas to keep clean, are all things we stay far, far away from. 

When we are looking into buying a multi-family property we look for those that are under-managed. Mismanagement is a huge area where you can add value by coming in and really overhauling their units (and business processes) and in turn, raise the rent. For the most part, tenants are okay with the increase in rent because it means you are taking better care of the property. 

When it comes to buying a property, one big red flag we look for as a buyer is if the seller won’t let you see all of the units. In most cases, a seller not letting you see each unit means they aren’t properly being cared for or maintained. However, if you are in the position where you are buying the property and are aware that there are problematic tenants/units, that is a completely different story and you can work with it.

Next, if a seller is unorganized or seemingly hiding their financials, we recommend staying far away from those. With the exception of someone selling a simple duplex, etc., and has no other units, sellers should always be organized and upfront with their financials. The more intricate you get, the better the financials you have to have because there are so many more pieces to the puzzle.
 

​​We would love to hear what you look for when buying/selling your properties and if you have any other questions you’d like us to answer in an upcoming episode! Last, we would also love to have you inside our private Facebook Community where aspiring and existing investors come together, learn, grow and support one another.

We’ll catch you in the next episode!

Resources:

• Check out Steadily for your REI biz
• Join our private Facebook Community
• Connect with us on Instagram
• Reserve your spot for our retreat in Salt Lake City