My First Commercial Apartment... Using Other People's Money!

My First Commercial Apartment... Using Other People's Money!

Real Estate Broker · Portland, OR · Member since 2016 · 97 posts · 90 votes

Investment Info:

Large multi-family (5+ units) buy & hold investment.

Purchase price: $825,000
Cash invested: $11,000

This deal is all about using other people's money and it starts with a previous property. In 2018, I bought a triplex in Portland OR using selling financing. in 2020, I split the mortgage note in half on that property and recollaterialized one half on my other properties in second position while leaving the remainder half on the triplex. That left the property with quite a bit of equity.

Then I did a cash out refinance to receive $207k of the banks money to put down on this new 20 unit property. All in, I had about $15,000 of my own money in the deal for the down payment.

This 20 unit complex is composed of 3 buildings. There are 16 one bedroom units and 4 two bedroom units. Since commercial lending dried up during Covid19 (with good reason), I did a wrap note on an underlying seller financed loan. Fun fact: I actually negotiated my payment to be lower than the seller I bought from by doing a 35 year amortization.

Rents were about 25% below market rent and I was buying at a 6 cap in Ohio (not great), if I'm honest. Still it was bringing in $9,200 a month on paper with a $3,000 mortgage to my sellers. Plenty of room for error... right? Of course, buying a C class property in a B class neighborhood during a pandemic comes with it's challenges. The first six months has involved 2 evictions (of tenants living in jail), solving a $1,000 a month water leak, and generally cracking down on tenants skipping payments from previously relaxed management styles. Luckily I have a 6 year balloon to get the units to market rent and all paying on time. Numbers are looking quite good on the back end with a 30% estimated IRR. Time will tell.

What made you interested in investing in this type of deal?

I began looking out of state for better cash flow and where I could afford to put in property manager.

How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?

My great realtor in Dayton, OH found it off market for me.

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Loudoun County, VA · Member since 2019 · 59 posts · 25 votes
5y

If you don't mind, can you explain how you split a note in half and recollateralized one half and what that means? 

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  • Investor · Iowa City, IA · Member since 2017 · 137 posts · 85 votes
    5y

    @Melissa D. Great deal! Nice work!

    Do you plan to keep growing your portfolio?

    Best-

    AJ

  • Real Estate Broker · Portland, OR · Member since 2016 · 97 posts · 90 votes
    5y

    Probably just one more property and then I should be done for a while. I'll be retired next year and I want to focus on traveling and enjoying life for a bit. Slowing down. Writing a book. Thanks

  • Solo 401k Expert · Anaheim Hills, CA · Member since 2012 · 18k+ posts · 6k+ votes
    5y

    @Melissa Dorman thanks for sharing, congrats on your success!

  • Loudoun County, VA · Member since 2019 · 59 posts · 25 votes
    5y

    If you don't mind, can you explain how you split a note in half and recollateralized one half and what that means? 

  • AJ ShepardPro Member
    Real Estate Syndicator · Portland, OR · Member since 2014 · 453 posts · 312 votes
    5y

    @Melissa D.

    Great work! Seems like you’re doing well and should be a great amount of cash flow once you’ve got it stabilized!

    How’s you pick your property manager in the area?

  • Marc RiceBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus Cleveland Dayton, OH · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    5y

    @Melissa D.

    Numbers look great! Good luck

    Marc Rice | Investor Friendly Agent at Reafco Tailwind Team574 Reviews
  • HVAC Tech · Fort Wayne, IN · Member since 2015 · 423 posts · 223 votes
    5y

    @Melissa D.

    great job, are the 2 bedroom units all in the middle building?

  • Developer · Portland, OR · Member since 2015 · 67 posts · 61 votes
    5y

    @Melissa D. Killing it!

  • Real Estate Broker · Portland, OR · Member since 2016 · 97 posts · 90 votes
    5y

    @Evan C. In regards to dividing the note: I originally had a promissory note and deed of trust on the seller financed property that had provisions allowing me to divide the note into smaller sub notes ,as long as the smaller sub notes all added up to the same total for amount and monthly payment as the original note. I also had the ability to recollaterialize (or move) those notes to another or more than one property, as long as there was equity and cash flow sufficient to pay the notes placed thereon. Thus, I divided the original note into two notes. Took one and placed it on my other properties in second position (plenty of equity), leaving only one note on the original property of about $350k. The refinance was for $560k (value $820k) so I got cash for the difference ($207k) and paid off the $350k remaining on the property. Now I am just left with $350k on my other properties in second position. I used the $207k for the downpayment for the 20 unit above. 

  • Real Estate Broker · Portland, OR · Member since 2016 · 97 posts · 90 votes
    5y

    @Tyler Combs Thanks friend. You have been a big inspiration along the way! @Kevin Manz yes 2 bedrooms in middle building. 

    @AJ Shepard I inherited the PM. Tried shopping around through BP network but didn't turn anything up worth making the big switch. 

  • Loudoun County, VA · Member since 2019 · 59 posts · 25 votes
    5y

    @Melissa Dorman That's fascinating. I didn't even know that was possible. Thank you for the explanation!

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