These are confusing, turbulent and uncharted investment times for the small multi-families so indigenous to New England. I'm talking about the older frame three to eight units that are generally found in the older communities.
Never before have asking prices been so abnormally high as measured by the basic principals of property income valuation methods. Simultaneously, never before have interest rates been so low coupled with mortgage underwriting that ranges from fluid to lax.
In my opinion each time period of investment real estate is most often the temporary result of a unique combination of circumstances presenting an equal set of problems, or instances, requiring original and creative solutions.
The past decade can probably be best described as a wave of unparalleled real estate speculation often times disguised as "investment real estate."
It was the golden decade of the "flippers."
Low to no down payments coupled with interest only mortgages helped fuel accelerated small investment property acquisitions pushing up prices beyond normal property income capabilities.
This type of real estate was purchased either for ?"condo conversion," rapid appreciation and often times sold quickly for instant but inflated profits.
Sadly today's small real estate investors are faced with income property offerings which have asking prices set at unrealistic high prices wile in a declining overall real estate market.
I've found that experienced, well capitalized and mature investors are poised to re enter the small property market but on their terms of income value normalcy.
Theproblem is that many sellers have asking prices that remain in the clouds not supported, or even attainable, by conventional and conservative income valuation methods.
In some cases some of these darlings are not only over-priced but grossly over-financed!
Therein lies the small real estate investment disconnect; past high prices, based on speculationn( or greed) versus the prudent incomeapproach to value by the experienced buyer-investor.
Sadly the past high prices will continue to hurt and haunt the market for some time to come.
Today's investor-buyer, more than ever before, needs to perform extra care and extra due diligence seeking potential value- added property opportunities or potential expense reductions, neither of which are readily apparent or easy to achieve.
Sellers of hyper-inflated investment type real estate are confronted with a rapidly growing inventory of competing properties and pricing that are eroding.
Bother sellers and buyers need to find viable, creative and original solutions, which I believe can only be achieved on a property-to-propriety basis] ,with maximum cooperation and candor from both sides of the negotiating table. Easy to say and difficult to achieve.
Macro economic factors will begin to play a strong hand in the coming months " the value of the US currency, the vitality of the stock market, the price of oil, the availability of mortgage funds for this class of property and fair rates of interest.
Micro economic influences will be equally decisive; the acceleration of municipal fees and property taxes, the cost of energy, increasing insurance premiums for less and less coverage together with the potential for rising rates of vacancy.
For investors the task is daunting and time consuming as to review and consider a wide spectrum of inventory before making any decisions.
Sellers are simply going to have to lower their asking prices or greatly increase cash flow and net income.
Many experienced investor-buyers have informed me they are just going to continue to wait-out the market and for prices to fall. Sadly many sellers don't have time as an option.
Bill McInerney
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