Many agents are excellent at traditional residential transactions but don’t underwrite deals, model renovations, or evaluate risk the way an investor needs to.

A new investor typically does not yet have the experience needed to evaluate whether the property can be operated sustainably or whether there is a realistic exit from the seller financing arrangement.

I’m evaluating Indianapolis as a potential secondary market and am in the operator discovery phase.I’m looking to speak with property managers who currently manage room rentals / shared housing, or who have chosen not to manage them and can explain why.My target acquisition profile is:3–4 bedroom SFRsTypically sub-$200kNo HOAsI’m not asking for deals yet -I’m looking to understand:Which zip codes realistically support room rentalsWhat occupancy models PMs will and won’t touchWhere new investors get into troubleBrief conversations are perfectly fine — I value candid insight..

You're right it can be easy to get lost in the spreadsheets, but I'll be mindful of the bigger picture when evaluating a good deal.

Evaluate your investments from near, mid and Longterm.  7.  

It also sounds like you have some questions on the BRRR steps where you utilize the "renovation" step to evaluate the amount of cash needed to inject into the property to ensure you have enough ARV Equity to pull out your initial captial and enough for the next down payment.I typically advise using your Realtor, loacal GC and Banker to run the numbers in advance which is actually the easy part. 

I will try again: What was the projected return and how was this evaluated by those who invested?

Not the highlight-reel version.Not someone else’s version.Your version.For some people, a win is buying their first property.For others, it’s understanding financing, building savings, or finally feeling confident analyzing deals without second-guessing everything.I’ve seen too many beginners burn out because they set goals that sound impressive but don’t match where they’re starting from.The investors who make real progress aren’t the ones who sprint on Day 1.They’re the ones who define a clear, realistic win — and build toward it steadily.So if you’re just getting started this year, don’t overwhelm yourself today.Clarity beats intensity, especially at the beginning.For those starting out: what would make this year feel like a win for you by December?

I usually will pull in 5 similar homes most recently sold and evaluate each of those on a per square foot basis to determine current selling value for an area.  

For commercial real estate and deal evaluation, Commercial Real Estate Investing for Dummies (despite the title) breaks down underwriting, market analysis, and valuation in a way that’s practical and not overly simplistic.