In this video for some examples of how a seller and a listing agent should work together to get the most value out of the asset.

Not many people think to look at these kinds of expenses. Watch this video for my top 5.

Watch this video. It's worth 20 minutes of your time to hear my predictions on that subject.

In this video, I discuss how new investors can get better loans with Jordan Hagan of Radiant Credit Union.

You won't believe how many more deals you can get done if you're not bogged down with tasks that someone else can do for you. In this video, I discuss the top 20 tasks you could and should be paying someone else to do.

In this video, I discuss how some investors are seeing a bigger increase than some state caps.

Real estate investing moves fast so it is easy to get sloppy. In this video, I share a big mistake I made once during a transaction.

In this video, I discuss the 10 steps I took to write and publish my book.

In this video, I discuss a few scenarios where that might be ok.

Multifamily brokers often hear that a listing is overpriced. We don't just take on any listing opportunity; there's a decision process. Take a listen to this video where I walk through that process.

I've heard my fair share of complaints from investors about how slow lenders sometimes work. Here are some top complaints and my suggestions as a 3rd party bystander on how to avoid this train wreck.

I'm not sure there is a right answer and my opinion is skewed by the fact that all I see are hyper-niche multifamily investors that do very well. In this video I tell a story that can help you decide.

There's a lot of prep before a deal "hits the market." In this video, I explain how I prepare the listing and the seller in advance of the mad rush of buyers.

In most cases I believe taking the high road is best. Take a listen as to why.

I've seen this happen all too often. In this video I discuss how offering "just enough" on a multifamily property could cost you big time.

I sat down with John VanDuzer, a Partner with James Moore & Co, CPA Tax Accounts and Auditors. In this video we discuss a couple of ugly tax scenarios he has seen when syndications blunder.

Many churches own some of the best real estate in the country but knowing what to expect when striking a deal is important. In this Deals on Wheels video I discuss the process of doing real estate deals with big churches, what to expect, and a little insight into how they think and make decisions. I explain what it is and how to create it in this quick podcast clip.

Investors with lots of margin in their lives attract top talent, top brokers, and other investors to want to be around them. I explain what it is and how to create it in this quick podcast clip.

Absolutely! I tell a great story about a seller that did just that and how the buyer reacted.

Don't be fooled by the rising interest rates. Hear some advice based on what I'm seeing in today's market.

The shorter the inspection and closing times, the more attractive your offer is. Take a listen to this video details.

Great question. Not including closing extensions is one way. Take a listen in this podcast interview.

Providing proof of funds is a normal request made by brokers in order to assist the seller in making the best decision in multiple offer situations. This video will explain how an early-stage syndicator can earn a seller's trust.

Reputation is a huge part of an investor's deal flow so avoiding these 5 mistakes will only help your acquisitions game. Joe LaFleur and I discuss them in this video.

Very good question. I discuss this with Shane Mendelson on his podcast. Take a listen.

Multifamily real estate pocket listings, or off market listings, are talked about often because the theory is that you can buy real estate below market value and without competition. In this video, we discuss what a pocket listing is, how often they occur, and how they occur.

Kurt Howell from Longleaf Environmental Consulting and I discuss the top 5 "uh-ohs" of inspections in this video.

Using operating expenses as a percentage of income in underwriting can be dangerous. Hear why in this podcast clip.

There are scenarios in which a newbie investor's offer is chosen over a proven buyer's offer. Hear how in this podcast clip.

If it is done incorrectly or with no supporting reason, cutting a broker's fees could cost multifamily investors tens of millions of dollars in lost opportunities. Every circumstance is different and should be thought out. Here more in this video.

Freeing up time to pursue more deals is critical. I discuss several time management hacks in this video.

I asked Adam Wonus of Atrium Management this question. Hear his answers in this video.

I get asked this question all the time. Many don't like the answer. I discuss how I do it in this video.

In this video, we discuss how real estate investors can be different from their competition so they attract more opportunities from every broker in the market.

I find that some investors are concentrating on too few markets and as a result they aren't seeing enough assets coming for sale. I discuss the importance of mastering geography in this video.

There are two buyer clauses that really annoy multifamily real estate sellers that you should avoid adding to your PSA. I discuss them in this video.

There are a number of big boy multifamily real estate investors that are buying smaller under 100 unit assets in addition to 100+ unit assets. I discuss why in this video.

What may seem obvious to you may not be obvious to the party you're dealing with. Listen to a story of a recent deal that hammers home why you need to add this clause to all future PSAs.

I get it, investors can't fully underwrite every single deal on earth, there isn't enough time. But there is a way to efficiently and effectively manage that process. Hear my thoughts on how in this video.

Property managers know better than anyone the mistakes real estate investors make when managing assets for their clients. Hear Adam Wonus of Atrium Management give his top 5 mistakes he sees real estate investors make.

The top 3 things lenders look for in a real estate investor have little to do with personal finances or the number of units one owns. Hear Gill Dolan of Greystone & Co discuss those things in this video.

A few simple external improvements can bring a great ROI on your multifamily investment. I talked with value add master, Jason Schaller, who provided his top 5 value add ROI projects in this video.

It is common in this business to “crash and burn” from the stress and long hours. Hear the story of “Joe” from my book who discovered a healthy work/life balance that actually increased his success in the business.

Generally, it is only ok to consider retrading a deal if the impact on price is large enough to make a significant dent in your long-term cash on cash or IRR. This video explains in more depth.

This video discusses a number of things you can do to be among the select buyers who get that first call.

Offering the very highest price and best terms you can is always the safest bet to win deals, but there are instances when a lower price can beat out a higher price. In this video, we discuss how that's done.

In multifamily real estate when an investor has built momentum, they are extremely hard to compete against. In this video, we discuss The Law of The Big Mo, as author John C Maxwell calls it in his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.

Determining rental comps to use when valuating multifamily real estate is highly important. Especially when you're looking to add value to the asset after a renovation. Part of the process involves some sort of online membership-based software that can query all the assets in a market. Some of it is a gut feeling about whether a comp matches and some of it is an investor's knowledge of the market. Hear my best practices in this video of a real-life, practical example.

Proper document preparation on the front end before going to market is necessary in order to maximize sale price, close quickly, and with little drama. When I take a listing, the first thing I do is hand the seller a list of documents I’d like them to gather before we go to market. I provide an in-depth explanation and the actual list of items I recommend in this video.

The worst thing a buyer can do is play the game of only offering just enough to win the deal. In this video, I give 5 tips for winning every competitive real estate bid.

There are a number of things that go into developing an awesome reputation as a seller. A very simple one that’s easy to do and goes a long way is how you care for your property during the marketing and contract period. In this video, I discuss several ways to build or improve your reputation in the marketplace so both buyers and Brokers are more likely to work with you more often.

As an overall answer to the question, it's a fact, they make you more money. Make no mistake only real estate agents can create an environment that earns a seller the most the market will pay. Hear five reasons in this video.

Elite investors are highly focused and say “no” a lot. They say no to anything that doesn’t have a 90% likelihood to help them procure more deals. This video explains how they do it.

If you want more deals to come to you, make it easy for real estate agents and other referral sources to reach you. Seems obvious, right? But watch this video for something you might be missing.

The answer is simple. Buy a CRM (customer relationship management program) and then put in some work to make it work for you. Here’s how to use a CRM to drive more business from brokers.

Real estate investors are losing millions of dollars in productivity by NOT hiring paid personal drivers to take them to appointments. This video gives a step by step on how I hire paid drivers so I'm more productive.

Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest basketball player to have ever lived who consistently got referee calls to go his way. Some thought it was unfair. If you want an unfair advantage in real estate investing, take a listen to this video.

You may want to reconsider that thought. It’s more of a study on human motivation. Hear my explanation and then you decide.

After conducting a two-year study of Class A, B, and C assets in Florida, I reveal the answer in this video.

To get brokers and referral sources to notice you, you must let them know how active you are. In this video, I discuss the importance of marketing your achievements and being active on social media.

Lenders typically consider a property to be "student housing" if 40% or more of the occupants are students and that will dictate the type of financing offered. The owner of the asset, however, may not always consider their property to be a “student housing property” if only 40% are students and 60% are conventional. Owners tend to view their proprety as student or conventional by how they market and lease it; whether they have set move in/move out dates (August to July is more typical in student), or whether they offer student packages (furniture, cable, internet bundles).

Frankly, multifamily will sell at any time of the year because it is such a sought after asset class. That said, based on our research there are more optimum times when you consider holidays, competition, etc. The short answer is that the most optimum time is between March and August and the least optimum time is between mid-November and end of February. I would encourage you to review our study on this subject.

The answer depends on the interest rate, LTV, and amortization to name a few. But read this article for a detailed explanation.

A lender source Charles Knighton III, MSRE wrote,  “According to appraisers and underwriters, 5.0% vacancy is 100% occupancy.”

That depends on whether you are buying a newly built apartment deal that has just been fully leased or whether it is still under construction and the lease up hasn’t occurred. Typically an investor would be buying the property once certain occupancy has been completed (90% or more) so my answers will focus more on that scenario. The video referenced can be found HERE.

1.  Instead of asking for income tax returns or P&Ls during your DD period, ask for the pro-forma the developer provided to their lender to get financing for the project. Remember to also do your own research on market rents and expenses too.

2.  The rent roll need shouldn’t change, you’ll still want to know the unit mix, rents for each style, deposits, size of units, lease end dates, etc.

3.  Instead of asking for the last three to six months of utility bills you’ll want to know what utilities the landlord will be responsible for and the projected cost of each, which should be within the pro-forma the developer gave to the bank. Verify these projections by calling the local utility company and getting their thoughts.

4.  Instead of asking for a past property tax bill (which would only be a vacant land valuation), the best way to estimate taxes on a new construction apartment deal in the first full year (first full year is the year following a Certificate of Occupancy was granted by the building department), go the property appraiser website and do a property search for apartment complexes that were built in the last 3 years and then calculate what the assessed values were, per unit, for the first full year of each of those projects. That will give you an indication of what yours will come out to. See how that compares to the developers pro-forma assumption give to his lender. It would be smart to also have a “true up” clause that survives the closing on new construction projects. This basically means that the seller agrees to reimburse buyer for any increase in property taxes that was some percentage above the projected property taxes on the proforma at the end of the first full year. That won’t fully reimburse you for the cap rated value you paid but it helps a little.

5.  As for insurance, this should already be in place and you’ll want to review the “dec” (declaration) pages to makes sure the proper amounts are in place. Shop his/her dec page around with other carriers.

6.  Obtaining the title and survey during DD is still customary in a new construction deal.

7.  You’ll still want copies of all leases and any amendments. Because it is new construction, and there will have only been one lease done, it isn’t necessary to obtain estoppels from all the tenants but that is up to you and your lender.

8. As for the “5 Year Capx List” mentioned on the video, since this is a brand new deal you’ll want to instead obtain all the warranty information for all the major components of the project (roof, HVAC, appliances, etc.). It would be a good practice to set up in your management software how long each of these components last per the item specs and enter that info ahead of time so you don’t have to search for it years later if/when something breaks. You’ll want to know the vendor, install date, contact person, warranty period, care info, etc.

9.  You will still want the environmental report that was required of the developer by their lender. Your lender may also want either a new report or the current one updated by the same vendor.

10.  You will still want to run a crime report, you’ll want to see the leasing traffic log, and you’ll ESPECIALLY want to make sure there are no open permits on the project prior to closing.

Always consult your attorney, but buying commercial property is caveat emptor, or buyer beware. You are generally permitted to do any inspections you want but you’re not required to do any. If there turns out to be a problem after closing, it’s your problem. Unlike in residential property, the seller isn’t required to disclose any defects. The seller, however, cannot make false statements like "The roof doesn't leak a drop" if indeed he knows it does. We advise our buyers to have a property inspected and, typically, suggest having an environmental study done. Better to spend a little now rather than a lot later.

It's a common oversight for sellers. Before going to market, check for any open or expired permits on your property. It's easy. Do a Property Search with the city or county, which costs around $50 but reveals open permits. Open/expired permits are for work that a contractor did on your property and they didn’t have the final inspection performed by a building official. Sometimes to close the permit the original vendor just has to reopen the permit and have the building official inspect it for final closure (assuming the work was done properly). Other times the building inspector may require the contractor to perform more work in order meet current building codes. Get all this taken care of before going to market or it could really hold up your closing, or worse, kill the deal if too much time passes! Anytime you as an owner have work done requiring a permit, you should insist that vendor bring you a "Certificate of Completion" showing the permit is closed, preferably before your final payment to them. This simple step can save time and money.

A lender source Charles Knighton III, MSRE wrote, “…the investor’s net worth must be equal to the loan amount.  In addition, they want to see your post-closing liquidity (readily available cash) equal to 10% of the loan amount (or 9-12 months of principal and interest payments).”

There is a term in our business called “low-balling” and refers to making an offer way, way below asking price. In my experience, this backfires more often than not. It tends to offend the seller and gets negotiations off to a very bad start. The seller will often not even respond and any further discussions become a test of egos. It’s a better tack to have your realtor do a market evaluation and let you know what the fair market price would be. You can then make an offer somewhat below market but reasonable depending on how much you want the property. Your realtor can even include the justification for the offer in the presentation. The seller will likely respond with a price closer to what he or she will actually accept.

Of course check with your CPA but, in general, you’ll have 2 tax concerns: depreciation and capital gains. You have most likely been depreciating your initial investment each year. A percentage of that base value has been an annual tax deduction and now you get to pay for that privilege at the sale. 25% of the total depreciation must now be paid as a “recapture” tax at sale. In addition, you will owe capital gains on any increase in value in your property. Your CPA should calculate this for you as it isn’t just your sale price minus what you bought it for and the rates vary from 15-20% depending on the investor. There are other considerations like closing costs, commissions, attorney fees, and capital expenses that get factored in. You can defer the taxes by making a 1031 Exchange but that’s a topic for another day.

1) Experience in the form of deal making, you want to see significant sales/lease volume and lots of deals. The more sales and deals the better and make them provide their stats. Do you want a heart surgeon that does 100s of surgeries per year or one that does a couple?

2) They are extremely dialed in and savvy in the use of technology. They have an outstanding contact database, access to all the listing websites including the local MLS, LoopNet, Costar, all the social media platforms, use of video, big data, mailing services, and the list goes on.

3) Lots and lots of written testimonials from clients. What better measure of a commercial Realtor than to hear from dozens of their customers (many of whom you may know) who speak highly of their performance. If the Realtor can't produce at least 15-20 immediately, then you may want to look further.

A lender source Charles Knighton III, MSRE wrote “Think about it like this:  when a bank lends you 75% LTV on your asset, they are inevitably purchasing your property for 75% LTV.”  “You have to look at it as a risk.  Mitigating that risk is what’s important to getting your loan funded.”

You’re talking about a 1031 Exchange. There are legalities that must be observed so first consult your attorney, but the essence is that you can “roll” your equity from a commercial sale into another commercial property and defer the capital gains and depreciation recapture taxes. Owners will do this for a variety of reasons, such as a purchase offer too good to refuse, wanting a newer property with less maintenance, wanting fewer tenants, wanting to own a property with fewer headaches. The basic rules are you have 45 days from closing on your current property to identify 1-3 properties you want to purchase. And you have to close on one of those properties within 6 months of your property closing. I’ve simplified the process greatly but it’s not that complex and is done by savvy investors all the time.

It will be very difficult to sell a property without being able to prove you have clear title. In most of Florida, the seller typically pays for title insurance. By doing that you're saying you have the right to convey the property. Even if you've owned a property for decades there may still be outstanding permits or problems with the survey or easement challenges or a myriad of issues. No one wants to buy a property with "issues" that may limit their ability to maximize the use potential. The cost of obtaining a reputable title insurance policy is small compared to the value of being able to say I'm selling this property "free and clear".

A CAP (short for capitalization) rate is simply the annual rate of return for an investment property. Just like bonds or CD’s, different investments have different returns depending on the amount of risk. It’s calculated by dividing the NET Operating Income (income minus expenses) by the purchase price. If an office building nets $35,000 in income and you buy it for $500,000, the CAP rate is 7%. This number is calculated without factoring in any loan costs you may have. An investment with minimal risk, such as a McDonalds, would be sold at CAP rates approaching 4%. A riskier apartment complex that has shaky tenants in a non growth location may sell at a CAP rate of 8% or higher. The CAP rate is a benchmark used by virtually all investors because it seeks to quantify the question of risk vs. reward.

1) Don't get greedy. Weigh the costs of your property sitting on the market vs. doing a deal.

2) Don't reach too high on list price. Trying to set a world record for pricing can cost time and money.

3) Avoid ego. Don't try to "win" a negotiation; keep your head in the game and focus on solutions for all.

4) Don't be a know-it-all. If you're not immersed in real estate, don't dictate terms against the advice of those who do real estate for a living.

5) Don't dilly-dally. Time kills deals in real estate. You need to respond to offers within 48 hours.

6) Don’t be your own attorney. Get legal advice from a real estate attorney, not your brother the divorce attorney.

7) Don't make changes out of left field to a contract at the 9th hour. That ticks people off and they'll walk away because they don't trust you.

8) Don't ignore simple math and market data. It doesn't matter how much money you have in your property or what your cousin said you could sell for.

9) Don't take it personally. Let’s face it, some people have irritating personalities. Stay thick-skinned and work to make a deal, not prove a point.

10) Be sympathetic to the other side and try to understand their needs. The objective should be win-win.

Simply put, using less of your own money to earn the same rental income will yield a higher rate of return. Here is a simplified example. If you bought a $100,000 property with cash with NO loan, and it earned $10,000 in net income (income minus expenses), that would be a 10% rate of return on your money. Using the same example, if you obtained a $75,000 loan to buy the property, you'd now only be using $25,000 of your own money. That $75,000 loan, using today's average commercial terms, would cost you about $5,700 a year in principal and interest payments. Stick with me here. If you subtract the $5,700 loan payments from the $10,000 in net income you'd now have $4,300 in cash flow that you're earning on your $25,000 investment. This equates to a 17.2% return! It pays to use someone else's money!

All of them and none of them. Not to get cute but the return vs. risk equation can really be the same for each of those commercial classes. Your return is not determined by the asset class but more by the quality of the property, reliability of the tenant, ease of re-leasing the space, cost of maintenance, and likelihood of appreciation. In other words, you can make a great return from a retail, office industrial, or multifamily property or you can get whacked by any of them. The trick is to buy wisely and weigh those factors carefully. The more successfully you can do that the better your return.

A lender source Charles Knighton III, MSRE wrote, “Many lenders in today’s market need to see a debt coverage ratio of at least 1.25x on multifamily and 1.30x on other property types.  This shows that the cash flow is healthy and if the property suffers a 25%-30% decrease in income it will still produce enough to pay the annual debt.”

Ha, I sometimes wonder. Yes, there are very few simple commercial deals. That’s largely because money is involved and so many owners and buyers or tenants approach deals as a test of wills, rather than with rationale and a cool head. Plus, both parties typically have different objectives. Our job as a commercial Realtor, besides procurement, is to be the objective arbiter, appreciating the perspective of both sides and communicating those perspectives effectively to one another. We have to smooth out the rough spots and find the areas of compromise so that both parties are content, if not happy. We have to be the calming influence and problem solver and have the attitude that any challenge can be overcome. That’s why we get paid. As long as God keeps making every human uniquely different, we'll continue to be in high demand.

Probably not. Some investors manage their own property because they've had a bad manager experience. My answer is, get a better property manager. A good manager will more than pay for themselves in increased rental rates, decreased vacancy, quicker turn around on vacancies, and they generally have better "buying power" than you when it comes to getting repairs done or supplies ordered. Think about it, if you were a landscaper, would you give a small apartment owner a better price on maintenance than a large reputable management company that could potentially put you on 25 other properties? Those savings get passed to you. Same with HVAC guys, general repairmen, plumbers, roof replacements, and the list goes on. The value of your asset is tied to your Net Income. Generally speaking, a good property manager will increase your Net Income.

What you should do: 1) Update your broker a couple times a year to stay on their mind, 2) Show the broker proof of funds with docs from your lender, CPA, or financial adviser, 3) When an investment is brought to you, act extremely fast in reviewing the deal, 4) If an unlisted seller won't pay the broker for procuring you as a buyer, it will go a long way with that broker if you pay him for bringing you a deal, and 5) Close on deals. The more you close, the more deals you’ll see. What you should NOT do: 1) Never go around a broker directly to their client, 2) Don't renegotiate a contract with a seller unless there is some huge surprise 3) Never sit on a deal the broker brings you. It's ok to pass on one, just tell your broker quickly 4) Don't give a broker impossible purchase criteria, and 5) Don't ever ask the broker to reduce his or her contractually negotiated fee in order to solve a problem in the transaction that has nothing to do with brokerage services. You may violate one of these DON’T'S above and get away with it, but it could cost you in future opportunities you'll never see.

Not necessarily. Talk to your banker but the interest rate controlled by the FED is the rate at which one bank can borrow from another for a day. Have you ever borrowed money for a day? The mortgage interest rate, which you are more familiar with, is a long term rate that changes based on a myriad of market forces, and correlates with inflation among other indicators. So, the Fed rate (think short term rate) and mortgage rates (think long term borrowing rates) are mutually exclusive. If the "market" thinks higher inflation is coming, long term interest rates will likely rise in order to make up for the perceived loss in your purchasing power. Are you confused yet?

Unless you have a signed buyer's agreement with that agent you have no obligation. It's great to be loyal to one agent provided you feel he or she is acting in your best interest. A good broker, through communication and market knowledge, should be able to clearly demonstrate why you should or shouldn't buy a given property. If your broker is just trying to make a sale, it may be time to switch.

A Real Estate Investment Trust or REIT is an investment tool that typically combines funds from a variety of sources for the purpose of investing in real estate. A local example is the sprawling Springhill development proposed for the area around NW 39th Avenue and I-75. The property is owned by the Pennsylvania REIT. Some REIT’s are so large that they are publically traded and some are privately owned. Established by Congress in 1960, REIT’s are currently popular with investors because of the strong real estate market and the fact that REIT’s are usually required to pay out at least 90% of their taxable income as dividends to shareholders.

I believe through up and down markets, apartments have proven to be your safest bet because people still have to live somewhere no matter what. As home prices continue to rise across the U.S., rental demand is only going up for the foreseeable future. Another advantage is vacancy risk. A $1M apartment complex in Gainesville, Fl may be 20 units. If three tenants move out in one month that is only 15% vacancy and you'd hope to rent those units again within a month. A $1M office investment in Gainesville may have 3 tenants tops. You lose just one tenant that is 33% vacancy and it could easily take 3-9 months to find another tenant. Would your rather have 20 tenants paying down your mortgage or three?

If you're truly talented at finding good investment properties and know how to buy and manage them, there is always money available to you. There are structures that exist where you can put in a small amount of money while someone else (the money man) with plenty of money puts in the rest so you can secure the loan. The money man gets what is called a "preferred return" on their capital, which means they get paid first up to their stipulated return on investment, and the rest of the cash flow is shared between both of you, but more in your favor. This uneven sharing after the preferred return is called the "promote" or "waterfall". The more money the property makes, the more you make since you get the bigger share after the preferred return. If the property is doing poorly however, you'll be working for free.

To summarize notes from a top broker I know in another market: 1) Employment is the #1 driver of a healthy CRE market. Simply put, the more people working, the more they spend, the better our economy. 2) Government Policy can significantly impact the CRE market, particularly regarding the capital gains rate and healthcare. Uncertainty in government policy keeps all investors on the sidelines doing nothing. 3) The Federal Reserve Policy as it impacts inflation and perception of the economy. 4) Inflation and Interest Rates - as inflation increases the Fed raises interest rates, which drives down values but also makes mortgage payments more costly. 5) Housing: the more value a homeowner thinks they have in their home, the more they will spend. 6) Good old supply and demand: typically lower supply with strong demand drives up prices (our current market). Conversely, lots of supply is usually the result of lower demand and hence, lower values.

Huge. We currently have several investors sitting on the sideline waiting to see what the administration does as it relates to removing the former administration's 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT). The NIIT, which is the tax rate on capital gains, dividends, interest, and most other yields on investments, went from 20.0% to 23.8%. To use just one example, we have a family wanting to sell two apartment complexes for $30 million to a buyer we've already secured. They've owned these assets for decades so their basis for tax purposes is nearly zero. After deducting 3% in closing costs they'll be taxed at 23.8% on $29,100,000. They'll owe $6,925,800 in taxes. If the 3.8% NIIT is removed later this year to bring capital gains back down to 20.0%, that same transaction now results in taxes of $5,820,000, a difference of $1,105,800. That's a lot of money. Some owners will sell anyway, many won't. The implications are enormous when multiplied by billions and billions in transaction volume across the U.S.

Ha, one would think but greed always triumphs. A "bubble" is when the selling price of investment properties gets too high to sustain. A top investment broker I follow wrote, “In a perfect world investors would always adhere to sound investment principals which would provide a more stable market… the problem is that only lasts a short period of time because greed always creeps in.” Our market is getting stronger and stronger every day, investors are making more and more money, prices continue to increase until the famous "bubble" is created. Then the market has a correction. Investors freak out and do nothing... they just sit on the sideline until one bold soul does a deal and actually makes money. You know what happens next. Five investors do a deal and make money, then a few years later greed is back to rule. This cycle has always occurred and will continue. Sound fundamental investing will never ever be a long term phenomenon.

Robert Knakal, a highly regarded investment broker in NY, had several great quotes I try to remember. "When financing is available for everything from every source, soon thereafter there will be no financing available from any source for anything." Another quote is, "When money is easily accessed by borrowers, sellers are those who receive the benefits, not the buyers." And, "Financial models never incorporate recessions and capital shortages, but reality often does." I also like, "When everyone believes a 'paradigm shift' has occurred and the market will never fall, it is about to." Another favorite is, "The real risk of using short-term financing is debt rollover renewal, not increases in interest rates." Lastly, he wrote, "Leverage is wonderful when all goes well, but extremely punishing when things go wrong." Words to invest by.

I certainly understand wanting to work with a friend, but here’s the reality. While some residential Realtors are well versed in commercial real estate, most aren’t. So it’s kind of like asking your dentist to do your taxes. Commercial real estate and houses are very different arenas with different protocols, forms and requirements. By using a residential Realtor you may potentially cost yourself money or end up with a property that blindsides you with serious issues.

I surveyed several local lenders and here were their combined average answers: Top 5 Favorite (1being favorite): 1. Owner occupied anything (esp. SBAs), 2. Stabilized income producing commercial, 3.Stabilized income producing multifamily, 4. Landlord improvements on stabilized income producing assets, 5. New construction development for signed lease tenants Top 5 LEAST Favorite (1 being least favorite): 1. Raw Land, 2. Restaurants (non brand), 3. Speculative mixed use development, 4. Speculative residential development, 5. Tenant improvements for businesses.