Now multiply that by 2 units.

@Fola OdunladeFola, great question—both time and money matter, but early on I’d argue time is the bigger multiplier.

Key inputs I track for the quick screen: price per unit vs market comps, gross rent multiplier, cap rate at current rents vs stabilized, and DSCR at realistic loan terms.To get baseline price per unit for your area, check LoopNet and Crexi for marketed deals in your class.

Real estate may be the foundation, but operations are the multiplier.

Underwriting tips I wish I knew earlierA few simple things that’ve saved me headaches:Run rent comps for each unit separately (don’t just double a single-family rent)Budget for maintenance and vacancy, even if the place looks greatAsk about big-ticket items early (roof, HVAC, plumbing, sewer line)Quick reality check I like to use:Take your total monthly rent and multiply by about 0.75–0.8.

That’s exactly what tax planning is for, to take all those variables into account so you can know exactly how much you can save.For a $1M STR, you could assume 20–25% cost segregation, 15–25% land allocation based on county assessor data, and apply the current bonus depreciation percentage to the depreciable basis, then multiply by the high-earning spouse’s marginal tax rate.

For estimating payments, a simple interest-only calculator works by multiplying the drawn balance by the rate and divide by 12. 

And when talking a daisy-chain of extreme what-if's, with each layer to that what-if you multiply the improbability of it ever happening. 

With no leverage, there is no leverage multiplier. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/ASPUS6% from cash flow + 3.3% + 3.8 is 13.1% which is less than recent history of the S&P and less than half what I expect from RE investing.RE is a lot of work.

Thus, because I hired Latchel, the amount of work I had to do for a relatively straightforward task was multiplied--the exact opposite result Latchel promised.