How To Find The Most Profitable Investment Property (2024)

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25 Aug 2023

How To Find The Most Profitable Investment Property

Category: Investing 101, LeasingTags: How to Invest, Profitable Investment Property

Investing in a commercial property can offer fantastic tax benefits, low barriers to entry, and some of the highest return rates. Whether it’s an investment in a long or short-term property, investors can create positive cash flow with a high return on investment.

Here are tips to help when deciding what types of investment properties can help build wealth and equity and diversify your portfolio.

Research the Market

The first thing an investor should do is research, and a good tip is knowing the location of the property beforehand. Analyzing how much properties in the area sold for can help when determining cash-on-cash returns and cap rates. Many factors affect the price, rental expenses, tenants, and value of your property. As a result, if you want a decent return on investment, you should start your property search by analyzing the neighborhood to make sure it is a good real estate market.

Calculate the Value of Your Property

Calculating the value of your investment can help when deciding if purchasing a property makes financial sense. Some important metrics to add to an income property analysis include:

  • Cash Flow – By considering estimated rental income after rental expenditures, investors can judge whether a rental property will make money or require additional funds to be successful in real estate.
  • Cash on Cash Return – This is the annual pre-tax cash flow (NOI – annual mortgage payment) to the overall cash investment ratio (down payment, closing costs, any rehab expenses, and other loan charges).

What Types of Commercial Properties Are the Most Profitable?

  • High-Tenant Properties – Typically, properties with a high number of tenants will give the best return on investment. These properties include RVs, self-storage, apartment complexes, and office spaces. The more tenants there are—and the higher demand for your property—the more significant your income becomes and the less you will have to concern yourself with finding tenants with little notice.
  • Properties in Areas with Growth – High-traffic areas are particularly best in retail since they tend to bring in tenants who will renew their leases. These areas are also more likely to draw new tenants if current occupants leave for any reason. Another prime example of an area with potential growth is a newly developed suburb, which can be a magnet for investors.
  • Triple Net Lease PropertiesTriple net properties are usually single-tenant spaces, but those tenants are more likely to sign long-term leases. They are also ideal for inexperienced investors, as they place the responsibility of paying real estate taxes, maintenance, and building insurance into your tenant’s hands. This makes it easier to have a stable income from your investment rather than estimating your payment based on projected maintenance costs.

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FAQs

How To Find The Most Profitable Investment Property? ›

Simply divide the median house price by the median annual rent to generate a ratio. As a general rule of thumb, consumers should consider buying when the ratio is under 15 and rent when it is above 20. Markets with a high price/rent ratio usually do not offer as good an investment opportunity.

What type of investment property is most profitable? ›

Commercial properties are considered one of the best types of real estate investments because of their potential for higher cash flow. If you decide to invest in a commercial property, you could enjoy these attractive benefits: Higher-income potential.

What is the 2% rule for investment property? ›

The 2% rule is a rule of thumb that determines how much rental income a property should theoretically be able to generate. Following the 2% rule, an investor can expect to realize a positive cash flow from a rental property if the monthly rent is at least 2% of the purchase price.

What is the 50% rule in real estate? ›

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.

What is the 1% rule for investment property? ›

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 type of property has the highest ROI? ›

Investing in a commercial property can offer fantastic tax benefits, low barriers to entry, and some of the highest return rates. Whether it's an investment in a long or short-term property, investors can create positive cash flow with a high return on investment.

Where is the highest ROI in real estate? ›

What state has the highest ROI on real estate? The state with the highest one-year ROI on residential single-family homes is Arizona with 27.42 percent, according to iPropertyManagement data. The next two highest states are Utah with 27.05 percent and Idaho with 27.02 percent.

How much monthly profit should you make on a rental property? ›

Keep in mind, when it comes to real estate cash flow, calculating your expenses and rental property income will be your number one key to success. Anything around 7% or 8% is the average ROI. However, if you'd really like to succeed, you should always aim higher at around 15%.

What is the 80 20 rule in property investment? ›

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.

How long does it take to make a profit on a rental property? ›

Most of the time, you can get positive cash flow right from day one with your rental. Figuring out your profit for the year is a matter of taking how much rent comes in and subtract how much money goes out for expenses like taxes, insurance, and mortgage payments. What you're left with is your profit for the year.

What is the golden rule of real estate investing? ›

It was during this period that Corcoran developed what she calls her "golden rule" of real estate investing. This rule calls for investors to put 20% down on properties and then get tenants whose rent payments cover the mortgage.

Is it smart to buy an investment property? ›

Investing in a rental property is a great way to generate steady, ongoing income. And if you hold on to a rental property for many years, it could appreciate quite nicely in value over time. But investing in real estate isn't the same thing as investing in assets like stocks.

What is the 7 year rule for investing? ›

Let's say your initial investment is $100,000—meaning that's how much money you are able to invest right now—and your goal is to grow your portfolio to $1 million. Assuming long-term market returns stay more or less the same, the Rule of 72 tells us that you should be able to double your money every 7.2 years.

What is the Brrrr method? ›

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.

How do you know if an investment property is worth it? ›

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.

How to calculate ROI on rental property? ›

The simplest way to calculate ROI on a rental property is to subtract annual operating costs from annual rental income and divide the total by the mortgage value.

What is the most in demand property type? ›

New research revealed that terraced properties with parking and gardens scooped the top spot with 41% of the nation's demand*. Terraced propeties tend to be more afforable to buy so they're very popular. More and more people desire space to park a car so if the property comes with outside space, it's a winner.

Why do most millionaires invest in real estate? ›

The government provides tax incentives to promote real estate investment, including deductions for mortgage interest, property taxes, and depreciation. These tax benefits can significantly reduce your overall tax liability, leaving you with more money to reinvest.

What real estate makes most money? ›

11 Highest Paying Jobs In Real Estate
  • Mortgage Loan Officer: Highest Potential Salary: $405,102.
  • Commercial Real Estate Broker: Highest Potential Salary: $296,500.
  • Real Estate Wholesaler: Highest Potential Salary: $360,000+ (12+ deals per year with $30,000 profit per assignment fee)
Feb 7, 2024

What is the greatest risk for investment property? ›

Key risks include bad locations, negative cash flows, high vacancies, and problematic tenants. Other risks to consider are hidden structural problems, real estate's lack of liquidity, and the unpredictable nature of the real estate market.

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