All Forum Posts by: Robert Smith

I did a quick read through your post. I agree SFRs offer strong long-term benefits, especially with tenant quality and liquidity. But for my goals—cash flow, scale, and out-of-state investing—small multifamily makes more sense.

They often cash flow better, let me acquire more units per deal, and I can force appreciation by improving rents and operations. I can also invest in landlord-friendly markets where MF properties aren’t as heavily impacted by regulation.

SFRs and MFs both work—it just depends on your strategy, timeline, and capital stack. I am aiming for units under management, to replace a higher band W-2 salary.

 Kind of a similar methodology, looking at entry level price points in one area vs the other, and then taking into account higher education and economic environemetns.

@Drew Sygit

Good question,

For me it primarily came down to the current economic environment, when taking into consideration the tariffs and Detroit's manufacturing heavy economy it seemed to risky to consider at the moment. Whereas Lansing, with it being the capital and it's proximity to Michigan State, it seems to me to be a safer bet at the moment over somewhere like Detroit.

 Hey Will, 

Im actually in the process of building out a web application for these use cases now. My background is in Software and Data Engineering, and am hoping to have a MVP done in the next month or two. Would you be open to having a conversation? I’d love to learn more about your needs and use cases.

- Robbie

🚀 Gauging Interest: For an app —to inform a smarter way to analyze real estate deals

Hey BP community 👋

I’m building a app for real estate investors, and I’d love your feedback as I shape the early version.

🛠️ What It Does

The app helps you quickly analyze and compare residential investment deals based on actual financial metrics, not just listing prices.

Think: Zillow meets DealCheck meets your underwriting spreadsheet.

🔍 Key Features

View estimated profit margin, cap rate, cash-on-cash ROI, and NOI for each deal

Filter and sort properties by metrics that matter to investors (rent est, cap rate, coc, etc.)

Auto-sources properties from listing sites (no need to upload your own CSV)

Advanced Analytical Modeling to help inform data driven decisions.

Scenario Modeling: Example, "What if I did X?"

Embedded Google Street View + maps for quick visual vetting

One-click investment summaries — great for partners, lenders, or your own notes

📊 Smarter Analysis

The app uses statistical modeling to estimate missing values like rents, expenses, or rehab costs — making it easier to decide if a deal deserves deeper diligence.

I'm also building tools for Monte Carlo simulations and Markov modeling:

Monte Carlo simulations let you model thousands of possible future cash flow scenarios based on volatility in rents, expenses, and appreciation — so you can see the range of potential outcomes, not just one static forecast.

Markov modeling helps forecast how a property might move between different states over time (rented, vacant, under renovation, etc.), giving you a more realistic picture of long-term cash flow and operational risk.

These models help shift deal analysis from gut feel and spreadsheets to probability-based investing.

🧠 About Me:

I’m a software and data engineer with a background in building analytic intensive and financial applications for pre-IPO companies to big tech companies such as Amazon. I got tired of juggling Zillow tabs, spreadsheets, and napkin math every time I looked at a deal — so I built something better.

💬 Looking for:

Investors who’d like to try an early version (a month or two out)

Feedback on how to make this truly valuable

Insights into how you evaluate deals today

Thanks,

Robbie

 @Greg Kasmer: I'd happy to chat, and hear about your experience so far!

Hey@Lydia Tilahun I'm just getting started on my journey as well and am also in the Denver area. 👋

 Thanks Mya, I appreciate the response. I actually briefly considered looking at Florida, but I opted against that because of the insurance and natural disaster risk.

 Thanks Alex! I'll send you a message. I'd love to hear from you on your experience in long distance investing.