All Forum Posts by: Travis Biziorek

Appreciate the detailed post, Zach. I actually went through a pretty similar journey myself.

I started investing in Detroit back in 2019 while living there, built a 12-door portfolio with BRRRRs and long-term holds, and then moved back to California in 2022. I’m still actively involved in the market today.

Detroit checks a lot of boxes for what you’re looking for: low acquisition costs, decent rent-to-price ratios, and middle-of-the-road landlord-tenant laws. It’s not perfect (no market is), but for investors coming from the West Coast, it offers a pretty appealing blend of affordability and upside.

That said, Detroit is not a market where you want to be flying blind. It’s super block-by-block, and the difference between a cash-flowing asset and a money pit can be one street over. Having the right team on the ground—especially for renovations and management—is critical.

As for LLCs, I generally don't recommend forming one until it's truly necessary (e.g. working with partners, using DSCR loans, etc.). For most individual investors, especially early on, it can add unnecessary complexity and cost. Just make sure you're properly insured and talk to your CPA and attorney before making that call.

If you’re serious about scaling and want to go the value-add route, I’d recommend really digging in on one market instead of spreading across a bunch. Whether that’s Detroit or elsewhere, the key is knowing it cold and building relationships.

Happy to share more about how I’ve navigated that process if it’s helpful.

Detroit’s definitely one of my top picks if you’re looking at growth over the next 5 years—especially when factoring in affordability, rental demand, and appreciation potential.

I started investing in Detroit back in 2019 while living in the city, built a 12-door portfolio using the BRRRR strategy, and have been involved in the market ever since. I've since moved back to California, but my team still operates full-time on the ground there.

Here’s why I still believe in Detroit:

• Revitalization is real. Billions have been poured into the core, and it’s slowly rippling into the surrounding neighborhoods. Momentum is slow but steady.

• Rent-to-price ratio is strong. You can still find solid cash flow in C/C+ neighborhoods—though it’s getting tougher.

• Price points are low. That creates opportunity for newer investors, BRRRR deals, and value-add plays.

• Population is finally growing again. After decades of decline, Detroit’s population ticked up last year for the first time in a long time, which is a big psychological and economic milestone.

The catch? Detroit is super block-by-block, and managing properties remotely can be tough if you don’t have a solid team in place. It’s not a passive, plug-and-play type of market—at least not without experience or help. But if you’re willing to dig in and do the work (or work with someone who does), the upside can be really strong.

Happy to share more if you’re seriously considering it.

Hey Brooke,

Really enjoyed reading your post. I can relate to a lot of what you shared.

I actually started my investing journey by moving from Walnut Creek out to Metro Detroit in 2017. The market there was incredibly affordable compared to the Bay Area, and I dove headfirst into the BRRRR strategy—acquired 12 doors over a couple of years while living locally. Then in 2022, I moved back to California (now in the Central Coast), but still actively operate and invest in Detroit from afar.

That market has been really good to me—plenty of opportunity, cash flow, and upside if you’re strategic. But one of the biggest things that helped me scale was figuring out how to consistently source off-market deals. I’ve written a bunch on this, but the gist is this: most people jump straight to off-market without a real plan, and that’s usually a mistake.

There are different levels of “off-market” access... auction sites, wholesaler lists, and direct-to-seller leads. Everyone wants that last bucket (direct), but you really need deep market knowledge and strong networks to consistently find those.

The real edge comes when you narrow in on one market, get obsessed with it, and start doing deals. It’s the repetition and visibility that brings more opportunities your way. In Detroit, that’s exactly how I built momentum, starting with some auction properties and eventually getting texts from investors, agents, even wholesalers I hadn’t met before, offering deals because they knew I was active and could close.

Hope that helps!

Travis

 Absolutely, feel free to reach out via DM and I can send you some resources.

Hi Jesus, I have a ton of first-hand experience investing in Detroit. I own 12-doors there... 2 duplexes and 8 single family homes.

Happy to share some resources I've compiled if you want to reach out.

Hey Ben, I'm big on Detroit for many reasons. Happy to share resources on that if you want to dive deeper... but I'll focus on your question here in a broader sense.

I've been meaning to do a video on this but the easiest way I've found to get familiar with a market's nuance is this:

1) Start with the median home price of the market you're looking at (e.g. Detroit is ~$76,000 today)

2) Pull up your market on Zillow and plug the median price in as the floor/minimum price.

3) Sort all listings by highest price to lowest price. 

4) Look for clustering... these tend to be your nicer, more desirable A and B class areas.

5) Now sort the list from low price to high... these tend to be your C/C+ areas.

If you're like most investors that are interested in these markets you're looking for cash flow plus potential appreciation upside.

That means you're likely looking for those C/C+ locations that are in very close proximity to the A/B clusters we identified above.

There are obviously many caveats to this approach and other factors to consider when evaluating deals in this manner. But I've helped hundreds of people invest out of state and this is the best method I've come up with to start really sizing up a market from afar.

Hope that helps!

Hey Yannik, a couple things jump out at me on this deal.

First, it doesn't appear you're earmarking enough for repairs/maintenance/capex. You have 5% dedicated to that and I just don't see that being enough when you consider capex items.

Speaking of capex, that home may not NEED a roof today (although it wouldn't hurt), but I imagine you only have a handful of years left with the existing roof.

Have you budgeted for that already in your $30,000 estimated repair costs?

Hey Anthony,

I completely get your desire for cash flow AND some appreciation. That’s exactly why I’ve been so bullish on Detroit for the last few years.

Detroit offers a unique combination of cash flow potential and long-term appreciation, especially in areas that are undergoing revitalization. The city is still very affordable, and you can find deals that hit strong cash flow numbers, especially if you're using the BRRRR method to rehab and refinance. While the city is going through a resurgence, you're still able to buy properties for 30-50% of the cost you'd see in markets like San Diego or even other cities in the Midwest.

As for finding deals, you're going to want to focus on sourcing off-market opportunities. That's what I've done to grow my own 12-door portfolio. It's tough to compete in the MLS here, but with the right approach (and team), there are deals to be found. As far as contractors, I'd recommend doing your homework, but I work with some great teams who help me handle rehab work and ongoing management of my properties.

I have plenty of resources about investing in Detroit and my experiences, which I’d be happy to share if you’re interested in learning more. It’s definitely a market that requires a bit more legwork compared to places like Tennessee or Ohio, but it can pay off big time if you understand the nuances.

Happy to chat further if you want to dig deeper into what I’ve been doing in Detroit!

Best,

Travis

Was hoping to see you post this, Joseph. Glad to see this one finally wrap up for you.

And hey, $20k is $20k... not bad for pulling it all off while being remote. Congrats!

Hey Mark,

I spent some early childhood years in Ada, and my Dad grew up in Grand Rapids, so I’m familiar with the area. It’s definitely gotten hot lately, and I get what you mean about the prices in SW Michigan being a bit steep for cash flow.

If you’re serious about investing, I’d recommend taking a hard look at Detroit. 

It’s not too far from SW Michigan, so you’d still be close to the market, but property prices there are far more affordable. 

Detroit offers strong cash flow potential, especially if you’re strategic about where you invest. The market has its challenges, but with the right approach, it can make a lot of sense long term.

I've been investing in Detroit for 6 years and have built up a 12-door portfolio here, mostly using the BRRRR strategy. If you're interested, I have plenty of resources I'd be happy to share on the market, strategies, and what to expect when investing there.

Best,

Travis