First 4-Unit Deal – Feedback Wanted from Fellow Investors

[MM Santala]

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