9 Tips for Positive Cash Flow When Investing in Income Property

The goal of any investor is to make as much profit
as possible while taking the lowest amount of risk.

In the world of real
estate investing, a property is said to be profitable if its cash flow is
positive. In other words, a positive cash flow property means that the
investment is lucrative and paying itself off.

Before buying an income property
in Detroit it’s crucial that you assess its potential cash flow first. But
with so many options how do you find a positive cash flow property?

In today’s article,
you’ll learn 9 tips for positive cash flow when investing in income property.

What
does cash flow mean?

In its simplest
terms, cash flow is the amount of cash that your investment property is making after
taking into account the revenue and expenses.

Revenue is the income
that you get from renting out your property. Expenses, on the other hand, are the
costs associated with running your property. Some examples of typical expenses
include operating costs, and mortgage payments.

For your Detroit
income property to be cash flow positive, the income must be greater than such
expenses. Negative cash flow is simply the opposite.

9 Tips for Positive Cash Flow When Investing in Real Estate

Tip
#1: Get your finances in order.

Investing in real estate is a huge financial
undertaking. As such, it’s important that you have an idea of how you are going
to finance the purchase.

Once you have
identified a property that you want to buy, the next step is to arrange a
meeting with your mortgage lender. The goal here is to understand the available
options that you have.

If you have some
equity elsewhere, that might help you finance your next investment. Do you have
an existing mortgage? Can you afford an extra one? Taking a detailed look at
your current financial situation is extremely important before investing in
real estate.

Tip
#2: Pick the right location.

When you are buying a property, careful research is
the key to success. This is especially important when it comes to investment
property location.

That’s why the age old punch line “Location,
Location, Location” still rules when it comes to real estate investments.

Many investors choose to invest in their areas
primarily because of ease of management. However, this doesn’t mean that you
should not consider out-of-state investments.

So, what makes a location ideal for an income
property investment in Detroit? To begin with, the area must have a high demand
for rentals. Of course, a high demand means that you’ll have short vacancy
cycles.

The best indicator for rental demand is the
presence of economic hubs and universities in a particular area. These attract
families and students to live there.

Another indicator of the health of the housing
market is unemployment and population growth rates.

Tip #3: Consider investing in a multi-family property.

Not all investment properties are created equal. Some can generate
a significantly higher cash flow as compared to others.

If you want to maximize your profits, then consider
investing in a multi-family property. Besides the rental income,
multi-family investing can also mean certain tax breaks and more lenient
financing.

The significant drawback of investing in a multi-family
property is the high acquisition cost.

Tip
#4: Conduct a comparative market analysis.

The goal here is to make sure that you aren’t overpaying for
the property. Essentially, a comparative market analysis looks at the value of
other properties within a neighborhood relative to yours.

You can either do it yourself or you can hire a professional
to do it for you.

Tip
#5: Invest in a turn-key property.

One of the biggest barriers to being cash flow positive is
having to do renovations when you purchase a property. You'll be burning
through cash to pay for the costs of renovations, as well as the mortgage while
the property is vacant. Investing in a turnkey property can help solve these
two problems.

With a turnkey property, your property will be fully
renovated and ready to rent out immediately.

Tip
#6: Know your marketing strategy.

Your
property will not always be 100% occupied. It's important that you know how to
market your property should it become vacant.

Your marketing strategy needs to be effective, as a vacant property
can quickly eat into your cash flow. Before purchasing a property make sure you
have a detailed marketing strategy in place.

Tip
#7: Know how to screen prospective tenants.

Nothing
kills a potentially good ROI on an income property like a bad tenant. Having a
thorough tenant screening process is necessary to the success of your rental
business.

A good screening process checks for the prospective tenant’s
income, and rental and criminal background. It also checks for the tenant’s creditworthiness.

Tip
#8: Draw up an iron-clad rental agreement.

Have a clear lease in place with all details written out to
avoid any confusion and misunderstanding. 

Among other things, it should stipulate key things like:

• The amount of rent and where and when it is due.
• Whether pets are allowed or not.
• The duties and responsibilities of each party in
  regards to repair and maintenance.
• The occupant limits.
• Whether subletting is permitted or not.

If you find the drafting process daunting, then please consider
hiring professional services.

Tip
#9: Consider hiring a property management company.

If this is
your first income property or you don’t have the time or desire to answer late
night calls, then hire a property management company. This is because
landlording isn’t easy.

A good property
management company will do more than just answer those 2 a.m. calls. They
can help you find and screen tenants. Handle all the repair and maintenance for
you. And, if need be, evict a problem tenant out of your property.

These are
the 9 crucial things that any serious investor should do when considering investing
in real estate in Detroit, MI. Mistakes can be costly,
and the only way to avoid them is by learning as much as possible about how the
industry operates.