Cash Flow vs Appreciation: How Are You Balancing Both?

Question

With shifting rates and rents, many landlords are reassessing whether to prioritize immediate cash flow or long-term appreciation.

For those growing rental portfolios, what strategies are you using to maintain flexibility while still planning for scale?

Joe Villeneuve · Answer

Nothing changes except the date.  You still must have both, or don't buy the property.  No amount of rationalization will ever change that.

Charles Perkins · Answer

Every property l purchased over the years was required to cash flow.  That said I expected appreciation as well.  My buy box didn't allow for property in areas that don't appreciate.

There can be many problems with a purely cash flow or appreciation orientation.  Neither would be sustainable for me.  You have to ask why is there little to no appreciation on cash flow deal.  The answers usually mean added risk such as safety, dwindling population, poor economic conditions or some other risky scenario.

Kenneth Garrett · Answer

@Kelly Schroeder

Hi Kelly, cash flow pays the day to day bills and some money in your pocket.  You’ll need a lot of these to retire on.  Say you cash flow $300 a door.  At 20 doors that is $6000 a month.  Not bad income, but I think you should shoot for $10,000 a month at a minimum.  That’s basically 34 doors.

The appreciation part is the bonus.  If you think about it in 7-10 years you will probably have at a very conservative number $100,000 in appreciation including mortgage pay down for  each unit/building.  That’s 3.4 million.  That’s how you build generational wealth in a relatively short time.

Cash Flow vs Appreciation: How Are You Balancing Both?

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