Cash Flow Struggles Despite Strong Portfolio – Advice Needed

[Ben Daniel]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been investing in real estate since 2017 and would appreciate some perspective.

I currently own 12 properties totaling 23 units across 4 different markets. The portfolio is worth around $4.2M with a 33% LTV. Gross rents come in at $34K/month, mortgage payments total $6.2K/month, and expenses (insurance, taxes, property management, HOA) are roughly $9K/month.

On paper, this setup should produce around $12K/month in net cash flow, but in reality, after accounting for vacancies, repairs, and turnovers, I’m consistently left with only $7K/month. The gap between projected and actual cash flow has been frustrating.

Additional context:

• 13 units are less than 10 years old in A- to B+ areas.

• 10 units are older but well-maintained in C-class neighborhoods.

• I see no significant difference in maintenance or turnover costs between these property types.

This portfolio was meant to fund my early retirement, but the cash flow has proven inconsistent and unpredictable. I’m now considering whether I should sell a few properties and reposition.

Has anyone experienced similar issues despite owning seemingly solid assets?
I’d love to hear your thoughts, strategies, or whether others have taken a different approach in similar situations.

Thanks in advance!

[Drew Sygit]

@Ben Daniel no one can really offer any logical advice based on the info you've shared!

Everyone is just blindly sharing what they know.

Questions:

1) Average Tenancy Length?

2) Average Days to RentReady?

3) Average Days On Market to find new tenants?

4) Average Lost Rents due to evictions, broken leases, tenants skipping out on last month of rent?

5) Average MoveOut Damages?

6) How are you Monitoring Maintenance Expenses?

Your answers to these questions will allow us to give logical advice:)