How to Analyze an Investment Property [With Video Walkthrough!] (2024)

FAQs

What is the 4 3 2 1 rule in real estate? ›

Analyzing the 4-3-2-1 Rule in Real Estate

This rule outlines the ideal financial outcomes for a rental property. It suggests that for every rental property, investors should aim for a minimum of 4 properties to achieve financial stability, 3 of those properties should be debt-free, generating consistent income.

It's crucial to analyze the financial aspects of each property. This includes looking at cash flow projections, return on investment (ROI) and net operating income (NOI). Analyzing this type of information will give you a comprehensive grasp of the financial feasibility of each potential investment.

The 1% rule of real estate investing measures the price of an investment property against the gross income it can generate. For a potential investment to pass the 1% rule, its monthly rent must equal at least 1% of the purchase price.

What is the 80/20 Rule exactly? It's the idea that 80% of outcomes are driven from 20% of the input or effort in any given situation. What does this mean for a real estate professional? Making more money in real estate is directly tied to focusing your personal energy on the most high value areas of your business.

The 50% rule or 50 rule in real estate says that half of the gross income generated by a rental property should be allocated to operating expenses when determining profitability. The rule is designed to help investors avoid the mistake of underestimating expenses and overestimating profits.

To calculate the property's ROI: Divide the annual return by your original out-of-pocket expenses (the downpayment of $20,000, closing costs of $2,500, and remodeling for $9,000) to determine ROI. ROI = $5,016.84 ÷ $31,500 = 0.159. Your ROI is 15.9%.

To conduct an investment analysis, the investor would first examine the company's financial statements, including its revenue, earnings, and cash flow. In addition, the investor would analyze market trends and economic indicators to determine potential risks and returns.

The Bottom Line

Fundamental analysis is most often used when determining the quality of long-term investments in a wide array of securities and markets, while technical analysis is used more in the review of short-term investment decisions such as the active trading of stocks.

What are the three steps in investment analysis? ›

It involves analyzing financial statements, assessing the risk of each investment, and estimating the expected return.

Utilize metrics such as capitalization rate (cap rate) and cash-on-cash return to assess the property's investment potential relative to its purchase price and financing structure. Conduct a thorough inspection of the property to identify any potential issues or repairs that may affect its value or performance.

In November, Corcoran appeared on the BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast with her son Tom Higgins to describe two methods she says make up her “golden rule” of real estate investing: putting down 20% on an investment property and having tenants of that property paying for the mortgage.

It's called the 2% rule. This applies to any investment, and says that an investor will risk no more than 2% of their available capital on any single investment. In real estate, this means that a property is only a good investment if it will generate at least 2% of the property's purchase price each month in cash flow.

What is BRRRR, and what does it stand for? Letter by letter, BRRRR stands for “Buy, rehab, rent, refinance and repeat.” It's like flipping, but instead of selling the property after renovation, you rent it out with an eye on long-term appreciation.

The 4-3-2-1 Approach

One simple rule of thumb I tend to adopt is going by the 4-3-2-1 ratios to budgeting. This ratio allocates 40% of your income towards expenses, 30% towards housing, 20% towards savings and investments and 10% towards insurance.

In fact, in marketing, there is a rule that people need to hear your message 7 times before they start to see you as a service provider. Therefore, if you have only had a few conversations with the person that listed with someone else, then chances are, they don't even know you are in real estate.

What is the 100 to 10 to 3 to 1 real estate rule? The 100 to 10 to 3 to 1 rule is a guideline for real estate investors that suggests a property's monthly rent should be at least 1% of its total purchase price.

This concept shows that if you have 10 tasks that are 90% complete, you've essentially accomplished nothing. For some real estate professionals, this can be the crux of their business. It also may mean the difference between success and failure for them.