Month: September 2022

Categories
Landlords

Top 5 Areas for Short-Term Rental Investments in Michigan (And Why)

Source: Airbnb listing

Websites like Airbnb, VRBO, and Homeaway have made it easy for short-term rentals to gain popularity among real estate investors today. In Michigan specifically, you’ll benefit from the growing short-term property market, generate a higher return on investment compared to traditional rental properties, and quickly find new guests thanks to online booking platforms.

Michigan is one of the hottest real estate markets in the nation today. The only thing left is to know which city to purchase your short-term rental in, which we’ve listed below.

5 Best Michigan Cities for Investing in Short-term Rentals

We based our list on two key factors: high cash-on-cash returns and rental income. They contribute the most to your short-term rental investment success, which is why we’ve based our list on the two factors.

Disclaimer: All the figures below come from Mashvisor, AirDNA, and Zillow reports.

1. Traverse City, MI

Traverse City is the largest city in Northern Michigan, and the largest producer of tart cherries in the nation. In 2012 alone, more than 3.3 million visitor trips were made to this city, resulting in $1.18 billion in direct spending toward its tourism sector.

Guests come here to see the grapevines at Traverse Wine Coast, swim in deep freshwater lakes, and grab a cold one in many craft beer spots. Traverse City is a rustic, charming small city filled with artists, craftsmen, and musicians that contribute to its rich local communities.

Source: Zillow
  • Typical Home Value: $416,822
  • Home Value Increase: 25.4% year-on-year
  • Cash-on-Cash Return: 7.13%
  • Rental Income: $4,572
  • Rental Growth: -16% quarter-on-quarter
  • Capitalization Rate: 7.13%
  • Occupancy Rate: 65.37%
  • Active Rentals: 1,310
  • Rental Channel: 46% Airbnb, 24% Vrbo, 30% listed on both

2. Grand Rapids, MI

Grand Rapids is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, attracting travelers interested in art museums, galleries, and competitions. Its tourism industry has also been growing for ten consecutive years from 2009 to 2019, thanks to economic growth and an evolving, diversified community.

Guests come here to visit the John Ball Zoological Garden, Belknap Hill, Gerald R. Ford Museum, Van Andel Museum Center, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, and Grand Rapids Art Museum. There are also countless craft beer spots, as craft beer is the leading tourism driver in Grand Rapids since 2013.

Source: Zillow
  • Typical Home Value: $308,077
  • Home Value Increase: 17.6% year-on-year
  • Cash-on-Cash Return: 5.42%
  • Rental Income: $3,029
  • Rental Growth: 4% quarter-on-quarter
  • Capitalization Rate: 5.42%
  • Occupancy Rate: 68.79%
  • Active Rentals: 438
  • Rental Channel: 78% Airbnb, 9% Vrbo, 13% listed on both

3. Kalamazoo, MI

Kalamazoo is known for being the home of the US Tennis Association Boys 18 & 16 Championships for the past six decades, but it’s also the manufacturing domain of Gibson Guitars, Checker cabs, Kalamazoo Stoves, Kalamazoo Sled, Kalamazoo Corset, and Shakespeare fishing gear.

Guests can immerse themselves in the youthful energy and cultural spots in Kalamazoo, such as the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Gilmore Car Museum, Air Zoo, Bronson Park, Arcadia Creek Festival place, and Kalamazoo Nature Center.

Source: Zillow
  • Typical Home Value: $215,027
  • Home Value Increase: 14.4% year-on-year
  • Cash-on-Cash Return: 7.31%
  • Rental Income: $2,759
  • Rental Growth: 8% quarter-on-quarter
  • Capitalization Rate: 7.31%
  • Occupancy Rate: 70%
  • Active Rentals: 151
  • Rental Channel: 78% Airbnb, 9% Vrbo, 13% listed on both

4. Dearborn, MI

Dearborn is a historic destination for travelers worldwide. In fact, it is home to Michigan’s leading tourist attraction, The Henry Ford—the nation’s largest indoor-outdoor American history museum and entertainment complex. The Henry Ford alone attracts around 1.6 million visitors every year.

Apart from The Henry Ford, guests can also enjoy Greenfield Village, Arab American National Museum, Henry Ford Estate, Islamic Center of America, Automotive Hall of Fame, and more.

Source: Zillow
  • Typical Home Value: $214,291
  • Home Value Increase: 16.4% year-on-year
  • Cash-on-Cash Return: 7.48%
  • Rental Income: $2,469
  • Rental Growth: 19% quarter-on-quarter
  • Capitalization Rate: 7.48%
  • Occupancy Rate: 61%
  • Active Rentals: 63
  • Rental Channel: 64% Airbnb, 22% Vrbo, 14% listed on both

5. Lansing, MI

Lansing is Michigan’s capital city that attracts traveling families all year round. The city welcomes around 4.8 million visitors every year that fuels its strong tourism industry.

Here, they can visit the Michigan State Capitol with a cast iron dome, Michigan History Center that details the state’s past, Potter Park Zoo with more than 160 species of animals, Impression 5 Science Center with interactive exhibits, and the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum for unique and vintage cars.

Source: Zillow
  • Typical Home Value: $142,780
  • Home Value Increase: 14.6% year-on-year
  • Cash-on-Cash Return: 8.66%
  • Rental Income: $2,556
  • Rental Growth: 8% quarter-on-quarter
  • Capitalization Rate: 8.66%
  • Occupancy Rate: 65%
  • Active Rentals: 212
  • Rental Channel: 74% Airbnb, 8% Vrbo, 18% listed on both

Short-Term Rentals, Long-Term Success in Michigan

Take your pick from the list above and start investing in Michigan short-term rentals! All the areas we’ve listed are profitable areas for you to take advantage of local tourism industries.

As long as you conduct property rental investment analysis and create a comprehensive income sheet, you’ll be on your way toward investment success in Michigan.

The list doesn’t end here. We’ve gone ahead and evaluated the rental property opportunities in every Metro Detroit city and neighborhood, too. Head to our Deep Dive series to find more hotspots in Michigan.

Categories
Wholesale Wholesaling

Can Real Estate Wholesaling Be Done Ethically?

Women thinking about real estate
Source: Photo by Pexels

Many people in the real estate industry frown upon wholesalers. In general, it seems that wholesalers have developed a bad reputation because many investors and sellers think they can find each other without an expensive middleman pocketing some of the profits.

But ‌the reality is far more complicated than just that…

The truth is real estate wholesalers make everyone’s lives easier, helping sellers to actually sell their unwanted homes and connecting buyers with properties they actually want. In a way, they fill a gap in the real estate investment game that nobody else can, providing genuine value to both seller and the investor.

Still, not everyone thinks that and so we wanted to address the question: Are wholesale real estate transactions ethical?

Let’s take a closer look at the issue.

When Is Real Estate Wholesaling Unethical?

Here’s how we see it: Real estate wholesaling is only unethical if someone conducts their business for the wrong reasons. After all, real estate wholesaling is legal in all 50 states—although with many local and state rules governing it.

Here are two situations where real estate wholesaling becomes unethical:

#1 – Deceiving the Seller

If a wholesaler deceives the seller into thinking that their property is worth less than it actually does, they’re effectively tricking them so they can earn more profits. But if the wholesaler tells them the actual value of their home and is clear about the extra cost they’ll pay for their expertise, then everything is done ethically.

As a wholesaler, the goal is to convince the seller that your list of buyers and connections will help them greatly, so they can sell their homes as soon and as easily as possible. After all, most sellers have the following problems:

  • They don’t have access to interested investors or buyers.
  • They don’t have real estate knowledge to handle the transaction.
  • They don’t want to take care of the property anymore and would rather liquidate it.
  • They don’t have the time and finances necessary to repair the property.
  • They don’t have time to waste as the property is near foreclosure already.

Another situation is if the property is already in foreclosure and the bank just wants to liquidate it. A real estate wholesaler can then step in, offer their expertise and knowledge, and get the job done quickly and efficiently.

#2 – Deceiving the Buyer

Another example of an unethical situation happens when the wholesaler underestimates the repairs needed and oversells the property to a buyer.

Sure, the wholesaler will certainly gain a hefty profit, but that effectively pushes the problem to the investor—where they have to repair and renovate the property at a much higher cost than expected. With a bloated after-repair value (ARVs) and inaccurately estimated repair costs (ERC), they’ll have lower their profits and struggle to bring the home up to standards or find another exit plan before they sink too deep.

Unethical situations like these are what fuel the negative reputation wholesalers have today.

Instead, you want to be known as an expert deal finder. Give accurate ARVs and ERCs, and put in the effort to build your experience, knowledge, and reputation in the community. The more you do this, the more buyers will see your added value to their investments—becoming an irreplaceable asset to them.

Ultimately, it boils down to the quality of deals you provide. If you offer pathetic deals for hefty profits and push problems to other parties, you’re only fueling the negative reputation that wholesalers already have to deal with in this industry.

Wholesalers = Real Estate Pawn Shops

Pawn shops also have a bad name, but they also fill a niche in local economies. Someone in need of quick cash chooses to sell their item at a pawn shop, usually for less than they could get by selling the item on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, etc.

Doing Real Estate Wholesaling Ethically

Many real estate agents look down on wholesalers as predatory, when they should actually look at them as another avenue for a quick sale in certain situations.

As long as you conduct your transactions the right way, you’re wholesaling real estate ethically and shouldn’t have any problems. After all, when you can build trust and credibility as a wholesaler, you’ll get far more recommendations from other buyers and sellers as well.

And when it comes to real estate wholesaling—networking is more important in the long run than acting out of your own self-interest for short-term profits.

What else do you want to know about wholesaling? Drop us a comment below!

Categories
Flipping

House Flipping Business Plans: How To Create One (with Examples!)

A rehabilitated home in North End, Detroit
Source: Detour Detroit

Flipping real estate makes for a great reality TV show, but it can also be a lucrative investment strategy if you know what you’re doing. What they rarely show on screen, however, is the importance of having a business plan for flipping homes—one that we’ll provide for you in this article.

Read on for our house-flipping business plan template!

The Ultimate Business Plan Template: Planning for Success

The goal is to build a solid foundation that serves as your living roadmap for your house-flipping empire. Only when you have the goals and action steps in place can you put yourself toward investment success, attracting real estate investors, financial partners, and home buyers to work with your company.

Here are the 8 steps you need for a thorough house flipping business plan:

Step 1: Mission & Vision Statement

Start by creating your mission and vision statement. Change the following placeholders:

[Company Name] [what you do] [what you offer] to [who your customers are] with [your benefits, e.g., faster, more reliable, lower cost].

Here’s an example of a great house flipping business plan:

Flipping Fortunes finds, fixes, and sells fixer-upper homes to investors and homebuyers in the City of Detroit. Unlike other companies, we are Detroit locals and partners of Logical Property Management company that has been operating in the area for more than two decades.

Step 2: Products & Services

Next, list down all your company’s services and support each title with a short description. Here’s what it may look like for Flipping Fortunes, the fake house flipping business we used earlier:

Flipping Fortunes will provide these services for investors and home buyers in Metro Detroit:

  • Complete property restoration or renovation: Our team will scout, inspect, budget, and manage property flipping projects from start to finish. Home buyers and property investors can then purchase affordable, quality homes at a fraction of the cost of a newly built home.
  • Professional assistance for house flipping projects: Our team will help real estate flippers and DIY home flippers with everything they need to complete their flipping projects, including connections to professional inspectors, licensed contractors, and experienced real estate agents.

The more details you can add, the better. After all, interested real estate investors and financial partners will want to know everything your company can provide for them before engaging and signing the dotted line with you.

Step 3: Management Team

In this section, you want to explain more about the “who” of your business. Is your team composed of knowledgeable and experienced real estate experts who’ll live up to your company’s promise?

Here’s a quick example:

  • John Doe, CEO: Licensed real estate broker and property manager for the past two decades. Doe began as a real estate wholesaler before spending most of his career working with several agencies and property management companies. In all of his ventures, he always specialized in house flipping projects, having now flipped more than 250 projects.

Be sure to include each individual’s expertise, experience, knowledge, and everything else that can prove their capability and solidify their role. The higher you can lift your team members, the more trust you’ll gain as a company.

Step 4: Success Factors

Next up, what needs or specific niche are you addressing in the particular real estate market? These things are crucial for getting financial partners to join your venture, convincing them ‌you have a great business idea on hand.

Here’s an example of what a success factor could be:

Flipping Fortunes addresses the growing niche within the Metro Detroit real estate market. Our team opens opportunities for valuable fix-and-flop projects, making it easy for investors and home buyers to get their slice of the confusing yet high-performing hotspots in the tri-county area.

Pro Tip: You can also conduct a SWOT analysis to get a clearer picture of your strengths and weaknesses as a company.

Step 5: Target Market

As with any business, your house flipping company’s success depends on the supply and demand, as well as the cost of labor and value appreciation of the renovations. You don’t want to offer your services to a place that doesn’t need them.

Instead, your goal is to identify where you can “sell” most of your flipping services to a large market for many years to come.

Step 6: Business Entity

To operate your business legally, ‌choose a business entity and register for your business in the state you’ll operate in. There are many business entity types to choose from, but we recommend that go with one that has limited liability protection, like an LLC or corporation.

Liability protection is crucial for a house flipping business, as there are many things that can go wrong. For example, someone can sue your company because of a property you’ve flipped—where you’ll want to ensure that your personal assets remain protected.

Pro Tip: Consult with a business attorney to learn your options and weigh them accordingly.

Step 7: EIN, Insurance, Permits, & Licenses

It’s also important to ensure that you have the required documents to run your business. Oftentimes, banks and private investors will want to see this anyway. After registering your business, go through the following processes before officially starting operations:

  • Register for an employer identification number (EIN), which you’ll use for tax purposes, applying for business loans, or apply for business bank accounts and credit cards.
  • Look into business insurance options, especially if you’re going to hire employees. You’ll need workers’ compensation, unemployment, and disability insurance. Moreover, research about general liability and commercial property insurance to protect your assets.
  • Obtain the property business licenses and permits for your state and scope of work. You might need to get several permits to work in the construction business. You can also check with your local chamber and business attorney to ensure that you have the complete paperwork.

Step 8: Financial Summary

Lastly, ensure that your flipping business will generate high returns—both for you and for your investors. Here are a few ways you can get financing:

  • Through friends and family loans: Also called Patient Capital, this is when you fund your projects with personal loans from family members, friends, or partners. It’s low stakes and an easier route than traditional bank loans.
  • Tapping into your 401(k): If you don’t plan on retiring ‌soon, you can take a loan out of your 401(k)—either from the classic 401(k) loan or a ROBS loan.
  • Combining financing options: You can also find success in using several financing options to purchase and renovate your properties.

Start Flipping & Start Generating Profits

As your company grows, the projects will naturally increase in complexity and number as well. That is why having a business plan is important, especially if you want to attract investors. Your investors should see that you do your due diligence before putting any money on the line.

Have any more questions? Drop them in the comment below!

Categories
Landlords

2022 Real Estate Forecast for Rental Property Investors in Detroit

Sign that says House For Rent in front of a building
SOURCE: Ian Samkov on Pexels

The US real estate market experienced a wild ride in the last few years, but things have started to settle down.

Many experts and agents forecast that normalcy is around the corner, especially since there was an increase in new listings with a small drop in closed sales in Southeast Michigan in 2021 compared to the previous year.

In the City of Detroit, the news is even better—total sales went up by 8.8% year-over-year.

Right now, Motor City is presently a renter’s market. The City of Detroit has seen an increase in renters vs homeowners, with renting households accounting for 44% of occupied housing units—growing by 35% over the past 3 years.

This is great news for landlords, as it means the tenant pools are increasing in size.

So, what’s in store for rental property investors in the City of Detroit? Let’s take a look.

Employment on the Up, Better Rental Prospects

The population of born-and-bred Detroiters has declined. However, we’re seeing plenty of working-age adults moving in, especially with opportunities opening up.

Just take a look at these statistics:

  • Employment growth is up 1.18% year-over-year in the city of Detroit.
  • The greater Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area saw an over-32% increase in GDP.
  • The City of Detroit is looking at a forecast of 29.31% rate for job growth and a 4.7% rate for job gain.

This shows positive trends for employment in the City of Detroit. And more people with jobs means more renters who are financially stable to afford beautiful rental properties. Moreover, it’ll help increase your occupancy rate so you can recoup your capital in a short time.

Affordable Homes with Increasing Sales Prices

As of July 2022, the median list price for homes is only $80,500, with median sales prices at $75,000. The median number of days spent on the market is a little high (85 days), but that’s already an improvement from the 143 days back in February 2022.

Currently, homes in the City of Detroit go for 11.5% below the asking price as of July 2022, but it’s worth noting that median listing and sales prices have already skyrocketed. Back in March 2022, the median selling price was $54,500. This shows a 137% increase in sales price in just a few months.

The stats show that Detroit’s property market is recovering steadily, heading towards pre-pandemic levels or better. For those looking to invest in homes, this is good news mainly due to two reasons:

  1. Healthy rent-to-price ratios, as you can easily purchase below-$100k homes and rent them out for at least $1,000 monthly. You’ll generate positive cash flow from the get-go and reap investment returns fast.
  2. Enjoy significant equity gains since you’ll purchase while the prices are still low. As home values in the City of Detroit continue to increase, you’ll steadily generate equity from rising property appreciation rates.

In short, now is the perfect time to invest in Motor City’s affordable housing market while prices are low. As the economy recovers and grows, your likelihood of renting and selling properties will only increase simultaneously.

simultaneously.

Emerging Opportunities to Invest in Condos

Meanwhile, in the urban areas of the City of Detroit, it’s also an excellent time to invest in condominiums. The greater downtown area suffered due to COVID-19, and inventory went down. But as businesses reopen and new developments continue, there’s a shift from a buyer’s to a seller’s market on the horizon.

Some key areas include Brush Park and North Corktown, with new developments breaking ground in 2022. We expect this will lead to a great economic boom for real estate investors looking to fill their commercial properties as well as more renter seeking condos in the heart of downtown.

Real Estate Forecast for 2022

It may be a renter’s market now, but as the city’s economy recovers, there could be a shift in trend soon. With the median listing price for homes still fairly low and the median sales prices increasing, there’s no better time to invest.

Overall, things are looking up for the real estate market in the City of Detroit, so catch the wave before you miss out!

If you’re looking to invest in real estate in the City of Detroit, hit us up at Logical Property Management! We’ll help you choose the best investment locations to maximize your returns.

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