No one wants to pay too much for a single-family rental property. Nothing can ruin an investor’s day like realizing you’ve overpaid for an investment property and may now struggle to make it profitable as a result. Fortunately, there is plenty of great advice out there from experts who have made mistakes like these and learned valuable lessons along the way. By listening to some of the top advice from experienced rental property investors, you can confidently avoid overpaying for your next single-family rental property.

Have Patience

Perhaps the biggest mistake that gets new investors into trouble is not having enough patience. Starting out in the rental property investment business can be exciting, and some investors are in a rush to build up a big portfolio. However, being in a hurry is one of the worst things you can do. Finding the right deal takes time and a lot of patience. In fact, you may finalize just a very small percentage of the deals that you want to make. But waiting until the price is right, until the numbers add up, and until you feel confident in the property’s ability to turn a profit – these are the things that could help you avoid overpaying for your first, or second, or seventieth rental property. The last thing you need is to get excited and jump into property ownership, only to realize that the expected return on your investment will never appear.

Know Your Market

Another important part of ensuring you don’t overpay for your rental property is to know your market really, really well. There is simply no substitute for detailed, in-depth knowledge of any market in which you plan to invest. Investigate every aspect of the market, from property price points to rental rates to listings for both renovated and distressed properties. If you don’t already know how to calculate the key numbers you need to spot a great bargain, educate yourself on it and then practice. By becoming an expert in your local real estate market, you can avoid getting sucked into bad deals and overpriced properties.

Develop Relationships

Finally, it is important to understand that the rental property investing business is, at its core, about relationships. To avoid making rookie mistakes, you need to surround yourself with knowledgeable people who are experts in their field. By forming and encouraging relationships with real estate agents, attorneys, title companies, accountants, property managers, appraisers, contractors, building inspectors, and more, you can learn the ins and outs of the business faster as well as pick up some excellent guidance and advice along the way. Also, don’t forget about other rental property investors. Although it may seem odd to work with your competition, many successful investors are happy to mentor newcomers and help them learn how to accurately price potential rental properties. With such people in your corner, you can avoid paying too much for each single-family rental property you buy.

In the end, you can avoid overpaying for single-family rental properties with the right amount of patience, the right knowledge, and the right people on your team. Are you currently in the market for a single-family rental property? If so, connect with your nearest Real Property Management franchise office. We will do a free rental property evaluation for you before you buy and, ultimately, make your investment process just that much easier. 

 

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