Starting Small or Starting Big?

Starting Small or Starting Big?

Goleta, CA · Member since 2017 · 2 posts · 0 votes

This is a question aimed mainly at investors who are already in the commercial space, dealing with large multi-family complexes, but that being said, advice from anyone in any niche is more than appreciated.

Basically, I'm trying to decide whether I should start off small, testing the waters with residential multi-family properties (or maybe even SFH's), or whether I should just go for it, taking the leap right into commercial multi-family properties.

My goal is definitely to own the latter; large commercial multi-family complexes rather than residential. However, I have only very basic experience in construction, and no real-life experience in owning and managing a property of any type. I'd almost certainly be doing a decent amount of rehab work, with the use of a contractor when needed but definitely some stuff myself. Nothing major but just based on what I know about my area, most of the properties could use some work. Don't get me wrong, I've read the books, articles, and blog posts, listed to the podcasts, talked with investors, property managers, and done my due diligence research in both spaces, ect. I wouldn't exactly be going in blind, but at the end of the day, I still wouldn't have any on-hand experience.

So with that in mind, what would you do if you were in my position? Forget about the funding side of things for a minute. If you had the means and the liberty to choose between residential or commercial multi-family properties, as your first investment, with no on-hand experience but a very strong desire to succeed, which would you choose?

And yes, I recently finished Cardone's The 10X Rule.

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  • Rental Property Investor · Miami, FL · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 911 votes
    8y

    Jonathan.

    If you had the means to get into commercial, and you have the means to do a bad deal in commercial without harming your family or yourself. Then yes, I would dive into commercial right away.

    I would just spend most of your time finding the right people who will be your support network to help find, analyze, rehab, and manage the property. If you have all of those pieces in place then you're off to a good start. 

  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
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    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    8y

    I think you're making a mistake by listening to Grant Cardone. Going from 100 to 1,000 may make sense. Going from zero to 100 is foolish.

    I equate it to someone deciding they want to try photography so they buy a $5,000 camera and $10,000 in lenses. Three months later they get bored with it or realize they suck at it and sell their equipment for half price.

    You have no idea how to evaluate property. Without experience managing people or property, you have no way of finding a quality property manager to help you.

    I think you should focus on finding a nice tri- or four-plex to cut your teeth on. Get a year of experience under your belt. Crawl, walk, run.

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