Beginners Guide To Buying & Running An Apartment Community

For those willing to put in the effort and resources, investing in real estate can be a lucrative venture. Multifamily properties in particular, including apartment communities and condominiums, are associated with a strong and consistent cash flow.

For those that want to reap the benefits of owning a multifamily property, but without doing the tedious things like:

• Finding an undervalued property
• Putting the funding together (or risking your own capital)
• Hiring a staff
• Putting together marketing to fill vacancies
• Hiring Property Management employees
• Hiring HR department
• And so on….

Well, then BAM Capital may be for you. BAM Capital works with accredited investors, to create passive income with considerable tax benefits. In fact, BAM Capital has worked with over 1,000accredited investors. See if working BAM Capital is the ideal fit for you or your family. Creating wealth without all the backbreaking work. 

But if you still want to DIY, here is an actionable Blue Print To Follow

Buying and managing an apartment complex is a complex process that requires careful planning. It is a huge commitment. In fact, some investors describe it as a career rather than just another investing strategy. [1]

Apartment investing is defined as purchasing residential properties with multiple units for the purpose of generating rental income. These multifamily properties also have the potential to appreciate in value over time, which means investors can enjoy a greater return on investment (ROI) once it is time to resell the property.

Because of its potential for steady cash flow as well as the benefits of economies of scale, this form of real estate investment is popular among both individual investors and institutional investors.

Investors who want to reap these benefits should be prepared as this requires a deeper level of involvement than managing single-family homes. Not only is it a bigger financial investment, it also requires a bigger time commitment as you will have to play the landlord role. [1]

Here we will discuss how you can buy and run an apartment complex.

Research and Due Diligence

Investing in apartments offers several advantages over single-family properties. For starters, multifamily properties typically have multiple streams of rental income thanks to its number of units. This helps mitigate the risk associated with vacancies or non-payment of rent by tenants. Compare this with single-family properties that stop producing income the moment their tenant moves out.

Additionally, the operating expenses of multifamily properties can often be lower on a per-unit basis compared to single-family homes, as certain expenses such as maintenance, insurance, and property management can be spread across multiple units.

However, before you can enjoy these benefits, you need to perform your due diligence. Before diving into any investment, thorough research is essential. This includes understanding the local real estate market: vacancy rates, rental demand, and comparable property prices. [1]

Determine the type of apartment building you want to invest in. Apartment communities come in all shapes and sizes. Some are modern multi-story buildings while others are repurposed mansions that have been divided into several units. Identify prospective investment properties and slowly narrow down your choices. [1]

Conducting due diligence involves reviewing financial records to ensure a prospective investment’s financial viability. This will help you make informed decisions when purchasing your apartment community.

Assess the property’s location, the number of units in the building, and the available amenities. These factors will influence your rental income. This way, you will also be able to calculate how much you need to spend on rehabilitating the place if necessary. [1]

Do not forget to conduct a physical inspection of the property you are interested in buying. Assess the condition of the building, including the common areas and the amenities. This will help you identify issues and potential problems that will require repair and maintenance.

Financing

Once you’ve identified a viable apartment community for your investment, the next step is securing financing. Despite the significant capital required, you still have several options for financing, including traditional bank loans, commercial mortgages, private lenders, and partnerships with other investors.

Investors typically seek a combination of debt and equity financing to fund the investment.

Debt financing involves securing a loan from a financial institution or lender. The terms of the loan, including interest rates, down payment, and repayment schedule, will vary depending on their creditworthiness, the property’s financial performance, and market conditions. [1]

Meanwhile, equity financing involves investors contributing their own capital or partnering with other investors to collectively finance the purchase.

It is worth noting that due diligence is still necessary here to ensure a smooth and successful transaction. Investors will have to conduct financial assessments and secure legal documentation for the sake of financing.

Once this is all done, investors can proceed with the purchase of the apartment community. This means it is time to make an offer, finance, and then close the deal. [1]

Property Management

It takes a lot of work to acquire an apartment community, but the real work only begins once you have bought your investment property. This is where property management comes in.

Property management encompasses a wide range of responsibilities aimed to maintain the apartment community’s functionality and profitability. This means you have to take over as the property’s landlord and handle all the responsibilities that come with that title. [2]

This includes tasks such as leasing and tenant relations, rent collection, maintenance and repairs, and property inspections. Landlords are also in charge of budgeting and financial management, marketing and advertising vacancies, and making sure their investment is in compliance with local regulations and laws.

Landlords are the ones to handle emergencies and issues raised by tenants. They provide responsive customer care by addressing tenant needs and requests.

By fostering a positive living environment, investors can minimize vacancies and maximize their monthly cash flow.

Because property management is such a time-consuming endeavor, many investors opt to hire a third party company to oversee the daily operations of their apartment community. Property managers act as intermediaries between tenants and landlords. They handle the day-to-day activities of the apartment complex so that the property owner can focus on their other priorities. [2]

The good news is that apartment communities tend to generate a strong enough cash flow that justifies the cost of hiring a property manager.

The property manager will take care of responsibilities like screening potential tenants, renewing leases, collecting rent, maintaining the property, arranging for repairs, and marketing the property. [2]

Continuous Growth

Because apartment investing is a long-term investment strategy, you need to think about how to maintain it for the long-term. Ensuring continuous growth can be achieved through strategic planning and proactive management. [3]

With a property management company handling your investment property, you can focus on adapting your strategy to ever-changing market dynamics. Investors can do this through regular maintenance, upgrades, and improving amenities—doing these will help attract and retain tenants. With regular upgrades, you can justify rental increases while attracting high-quality tenants.

Savvy investors even conduct market analysis to analyze market trends, rental rates, and demand so that they can adjust pricing strategies accordingly. [3]

Other strategies include minimizing vacancies, controlling expenses, and implementing cost-effective management practices.

Lastly, fostering positive tenant relationships and prioritizing tenant satisfaction encourages tenants to stay longer. By improving tenant retention, you can reduce turnover costs and enjoy a more stable income stream.

To achieve success in the world of real estate, investors need to maintain a long-term perspective. By conducting thorough research, securing financing, implementing effective property management practices, and continuously seeking opportunities for growth, real estate investors can build a successful multifamily real estate portfolio.

Best Alternative for Accredited Investors: Multifamily Syndication

While multifamily apartment investing is a good strategy for a lot of investors looking to add real estate to their portfolios, there is no denying that it takes a lot of work. It is a rewarding venture for those willing to invest the time, effort, and resources required, but accredited investors have access to an even better option.

Real estate syndication allows you to participate in real estate investing without the usual headaches of becoming a landlord. Here we will discuss how it works.

A real estate syndication deal involves multiple investors pooling their funds together in order to purchase a single real estate property. This deal is arranged by a syndicator, also known as a sponsor, who takes on most of the responsibilities in the syndication deal by becoming the general partner (GP). [4]

The syndicator is the one to locate the investment property, perform due diligence, create and execute the business plan, and look for investors to participate in the syndication.

The investors serve as limited partners (LPs) whose only responsibility is providing the capital needed to acquire the real estate property. They may also pay certain fees to get the syndication deal going, but beyond that they have no other responsibilities. This means they can enjoy the benefits of owning real estate without all the responsibilities that normally come with it. [4]

A syndication deal can be made with any type of real estate. But because of the strong and predictable cash flow generated by multifamily properties, multifamily syndication is the most popular among accredited investors.

There’s also the fact that apartment communities and other multifamily properties are larger, more expensive, and more difficult to acquire for a lone investor. Multifamily syndication makes these investments more accessible.

It is also a safer way to participate in multifamily investing. Investors don’t have to purchase the entire property by themselves. They share the risk with many other investors, meaning they only have to worry about their share of the capital.

In exchange for their investment, LPs earn a share of the property’s monthly cash flow. Depending on the deal structure, they may also earn a share of the property’s equity upon resale. However, each deal is different. Accredited investors should perform their due diligence and learn all about the profit split and all other details before participating in the syndication deal. [4]

The great thing about multifamily syndication is that you actually own a share of the property and benefit from the cash flow without having to worry about property management.

The syndicator takes care of property management on top of all their existing responsibilities. They will either handle property management themselves or hire a third party company to do it for them. Either way, investors can just sit back, relax, and watch as the cash flows in. This is a true passive investment in real estate as you don’t have to deal with tenants or spend time handling emergencies.

Real estate syndication solves a lot of problems investors have with traditional real estate investing.

Investors should take note that most syndication deals are exclusive to accredited investors, meaning those who fit the financial and professional criteria set by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Accredited investors have the financial sophistication and experience needed to assess unregistered securities. That is why they are allowed to invest in deals that are not necessarily available to the public.

Work With BAM Capital for the Best Multifamily Real Estate Syndication Deals

Real estate investing, particularly multifamily investing, takes a lot of work. While it can be a good source of passive income, it still takes a lot of your time and energy. That is why joining a syndication deal is ideal for accredited investors.

If you want to maximize your chances of success, you have to look for a trustworthy syndicator. After all, they are the ones who will be making all the decisions moving forward. Work with BAM Capital.

This Indianapolis-based syndicator is not just considered a leader in their industry, they are also loved by accredited investors because of their consistent track record for excellence. In fact, BAM Capital now has over $700 million AUM and 5,000+ units. [5]

BAM Capital prioritizes Class A, A-, and B++ multifamily properties with in-place cash flow and proven upside potential. Plus, with their award-winning strategy, they can mitigate investor risk while creating forced appreciation. [5]

BAM Capital is also a vertically-integrated company. This means they can guide you through every step of the syndication process: from acquiring high quality multifamily properties to renovating and managing them.

No investment is without risk. Make sure to consult your investment advisor or speak to a BAM Capital investment team member before making any financial decisions.

For accredited investors who want to enjoy the passive income and all the other benefits of being in a multifamily syndication, schedule a call with BAM Capital and invest today.

Sources:

[1]: https://www.fortunebuilders.com/investing-in-apartment-buildings

[2]: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/property-management.asp

[3]: https://fastercapital.com/topics/understanding-the-importance-of-investment-monitoring.html

[4]: https://multifamilyrefinance.com/apartment-investing-blog/multifamily-syndication#important

[5]: https://capital.thebamcompanies.com/