Define your thesis first.

Define your thesis first.

Investor · Santa Barbara, CA · Member since 2026 · 24 posts · 11 votes

Most investors do this backwards. They find a property, then build a thesis around why it works.

Define your thesis first.

What's your target cash-on-cash return? What's your maximum purchase price (hard ceiling, not aspirational)? What vacancy rate are you building in? (If it's 0%, stop.) What are your deal-breakers? (Foundation issues, flood zones, more than 30 minutes from where you live?)

Write it down before you start looking.

This isn't busywork. It's the filter that keeps you from wasting 20 hours analyzing a property that was never going to meet your criteria.

Know what "good" looks like for you before you try to recognize it.

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  • Atlanta, GA · Member since 2026 · 26 posts · 5 votes
    6mo

    Good point, Todd. It’s important to define your criteria upfront so you’re not building a case around a property that doesn’t really fit your goals.

  • G. Brian DavisPro Member
    Investor · Hatboro, PA · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 903 votes
    6mo

    Completely agree. The best investors aren’t looking for reasons to make a deal work, they’re looking for reasons it doesn’t. I stress this to all of the investors I work with!

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