All Forum Posts by: Travis Biziorek

Managing rentals from out of state isn’t easy. Some parts you can systematize, but for things like turnovers, repairs, and showings, you need real boots on the ground.

I built a 12-door portfolio in Detroit while living there, then moved back to California and managed them remotely for a while. It worked, but it was a grind. Now, I’m transitioning everything to full property management.

For this to work, you need a solid team—leasing agents, maintenance, and a reliable contractor or handyman. Some investors use leasing agents with a lockbox setup for showings, but you still have to coordinate repairs, inspections, and make sure things actually get done.

I wrote a post on the pros/cons of long-distance self-management. If you want to check it out, shoot me a message and I’ll send it over.

I actually just wrote about this in my newsletter last week!

For my C/C+ class rentals in Detroit, I almost never include appliances. It’s just not expected by the tenant base, and I’ve found that supplying them creates more headaches than benefits.

Here’s why:

• More maintenance & costs – Tenants in lower-income areas tend to be rougher on appliances. If you provide them, you’re on the hook for repairs or replacements.

• Not a rental value booster – Unlike in higher-end rentals, including appliances doesn’t significantly increase rent in C-class areas.

• Tenants often have their own – I’ve had tenants specifically ask me to remove appliances because they already had their own set.

• Longevity argument? Not my style – Some landlords believe requiring tenants to bring appliances keeps them in place longer, but I’m not a fan of that mindset.

Early on, I tried supplying used appliances to strike a balance, but every single one broke within two years. When I did provide them, I ended up switching to new ones, but if I were buying today, I’d skip them altogether.

Hope that helps!

Hey Samantha, Detroit can be an amazing market.

Two things I'd recommend:

1) Google the "Renegade Detroit Investors" and start attending their monthly meeting. It's fantastic and there's a great mix of investors at different stages there.

2) Join the Metro Detroit Real Estate Investors Facebook group. It's extremely valuable but you need to be careful in there... some people can be extremely unforgiving. But you'll learn a lot just lurking for awhile too.

If you want a ton of resources specifically about the Detroit market feel free to shoot me a DM. I'm heavily invested there and have been since 2019. 

Hope that helps!

Christian, BRRRR can absolutely work out of state, but it's not easy—especially if you're dealing with full rehabs. It all comes down to having the right team and knowing your market inside and out.

For context, I built a 12-property portfolio in Detroit that now brings in $16K/month in gross rents. I was on the ground when I did it, but I live in CA now, and my team helps out-of-state investors execute the same strategy. We source off-market deals, manage rehabs, and handle property management so investors don’t have to be local to make it work.

If you're thinking about BRRRR remotely, the key is getting your team dialed in before you buy. A lot of investors think they’ll figure it out as they go, but that’s where they run into problems. If you want to chat more, feel free to DM me. Happy to share insights.

Yes, Peter. That's why I included the smiley face. 

Read the room ;-)

This has been happening in Troy, Birmingham, Royal Oak, etc. for years now. 

Plenty of cheap vacant land in Detroit thought :-)

Hey Caitlin, locals refer to this area as "Shacktown". I don't personally have experience with it but it's not a great area at all. 

I would personally do your numbers at $1,200/mo. I don't think making this a nice remodel is going to help since you're likely not attracting the caliber tenants that's willing to pay more for something nicer... that tenant is looking to live in this area.

Now, if you went the Section 8 route you might be able to push to the $1,300 - $1,400/mo range. I see some listings trying to do that, but they're pretty recently listed so it's unclear at how successful they'll be.

All that said, I'd run your numbers at $1,200/mo and if that works for you and your goals, great. If you get higher than that, even better!

Ken, you're very wrong about a lot in such a short post. I recently lived in the Detroit suburbs for 5 years. I own 12-doors in the city of Detroit.

I know exactly how well things are going there. I'm sure you have a great read on your local market but I'd recommend refraining from pretending to be an expert on a market you clearly know little about.

Good luck!

Rohmah, good to see you diving into this. I’ve been investing in Detroit for years and built my 12-door portfolio there, generating $16K/month in gross rents. I lived in Michigan for five years before moving back to California, so I’ve seen firsthand how the market has evolved.

A few things from my experience:

• BRRRR still works in Detroit, but it's not as easy as it was a few years ago. Finding the right properties at the right price takes more effort, and appraisals can be tricky.

• Section 8 can be great for consistent rent payments, but it comes with its own challenges. You’ll want to be strategic about the neighborhoods you buy in and work with a property manager who understands the program.

• Building a strong team is key, especially for out-of-state investors. Who you work with will make or break your success.

If you’re serious about Detroit, I’ve put together a ton of resources that break all of this down in detail. Happy to share if you want to reach out!

I would have bought more... LOTS more.

Back in 2019-2021 I was buying up SFH's and duplexes in Detroit. I was pretty leveraged with my HELOC, 401k loans, etc. but I could have been even more aggressive.

I only have 12-doors though. Everyone thought I was nuts and, while I did my best to ignore it, I'm sure it impacted how aggressive I was in the end. 

Everything I bought is up 2-3x and last year I had net rental income on my taxes of $86,000. I expect 2025 to be higher.

I did a cash out refinance recently on a duplex I bought in 2019. I paid $62,000 for it and it's generated me $1,000/mo net cash flow like clock work ever since. It appraised for $201,000 the other month and I put $103,000 in my pocket after closing costs and paying off the old note.

I wish I had about 20 more of those...