Single-family vs. Multi-family
When it comes to investing, you have many decisions to make. How to finance the property? Do I self-manage or hire a property manager? What are my short-term and long-term goals with the property? All of these decisions are affected by your answer to the following question: Should I buy a single-family rental home or a multi-family rental property?
Our client-base runs the gamut from small investors to investing groups with established portfolios. All of these investors had to answer this question at some point in time. A few considerations (pros and cons) for each are listed below to aid in your decision:
Single-family:
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Pro - I can live in the property down the line at retuirement if I buy now and rent it out until then.
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Pro - The pool of potential buyers will likely be larger down the line when I want to sell this property since I can sell to investors and home-buyers.
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Con- My cashflow will likely be slimmer with a single-family home
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Con - My vacancy rate may be higher with a single-family since it will reach 100% vacancy every time a tenant moves out.
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I can buy a single-family home just about anywhere in the city.
Multi-family
- Pro - My cashflow may be stronger since it will come from several units
- Pro - My vacancy rate should be lower since I'll only lose a portion of my cashflow if a tenant moves out.
- Con - I won't be able to retire in the property unless I don't mind neighbors/tenants sharing my immediate space
- Con - I'll likely sell the property to an investor so the pool of potential buyers down the line may be slimmer
- Financing properties with 5+ units will require commercial financing (4 units or less can be purchased with residential loans).
- Multi-family properties are typically located only in locations in the city where the zoning allows for this type of housing, so locations may be more limited.