First 4-Unit Deal – Feedback Wanted from Fellow Investors

First 4-Unit Deal – Feedback Wanted from Fellow Investors

MM SantalaPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Ortonville, MI · Member since 2025 · 2 posts · 0 votes

Hi everyone,

My wife and I are newer to real estate investing—what started as a personal goal quickly turned into something bigger.

We originally bought a vacation home in northern Michigan, thinking we’d use it a couple of weeks a year and offset the costs through short-term rentals. That plan has worked well so far, and it sparked our interest in real estate as a long-term investment strategy. Now, we’re looking to take the next step and purchase our first multi-family property—specifically, a 4-unit building.

We’re still building our team (agent, property manager, etc.) and joined BiggerPockets to learn from others who’ve already walked this path. We came across a potential deal and would love feedback from the community.

Here’s our situation:

  • We have funds for the down payment and a modest rehab budget.

  • We’re conservative with our reserves—we want to make sure our short-term rental is always backed by a cushion in case of regulatory or demand changes.

  • Our goal is to build long-term cash flow and gradually grow our portfolio.

Here’s the deal we’re looking at:

2077 E Boatfield Ave, Burton, MI 48529 – Zillow Listing

We’d love your input on:

  • Whether this looks like a solid deal for someone at our stage

  • What questions we should be asking or what to look out for

  • If you’re familiar with this market—are our rent and cash flow assumptions realistic?

Any feedback, advice, or even encouragement would be greatly appreciated. We’re excited to be on this journey and eager to learn.

Thanks so much,

Matt & Mary

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  • Drew SygitBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 12k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    1y

    @MM Santala don't know the Burton market, but a few observations & thoughts:

    4th unit above the garage:
    - My have an issue getting it recognized for financing. There was a thread here on BP a few months ago from a seller who's buyers couldn't get mortgage approval for their Brighton, MI property with 2 houses on one lot. Maybe the sales price will be supported by only the main house's 3 units?
    - Check with city to see if all permits pulled to legally convert garage to living space.
    - If garage unit has own water meter, why is owner paying for it instead of tenant?

    Kitchen in pic #14 of 15 could use wall cabinets above counter & stove (add hood fan). Be sure though, to maintain to the neighborhood - so maybe not needed.

    Not sure of the absorption rate and competition for rentals in Burton. Be sure to evaluate.

    Since it's separate from the main house and may be a great fit, what's the market for STR or MTR in Burton for such a unit? May greatly improve cashflow!

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