Most investors focus on “price,” but smart investors focus on structure.A $10,000 discount looks nice on paper—but the impact on your monthly cash flow, debt service coverage ratio (DSCR), and approval odds can be underwhelming compared to the same amount in seller credits.Here’s why:A $10k price reduction might save you around $60 per month on a standard 30-year fixed loan.A $10k seller credit, used to buy down your rate, could reduce your payment by $140 per month or more.That’s more than double the savings—and it improves your property’s DSCR, which can be the difference between getting approved or not.In a world where every fraction of a percent matters, understanding how to allocate negotiation dollars is a hidden superpower.

I'd also like to double down on a massive opportunity I've seen in this space: the owner-occupant arbitrage.Because rent-stabilized properties are primarily valued based on their actual income (which is capped), and not on their potential market income, they can trade at a significant discount to comparable condo or market-rate residential properties.For buyers who are looking for a forever home, the ability to purchase a multi-unit building and owner-occupy a unit can be bargain.

They are very dialed in, raising capital per community, and then cash out refinancing and returning capital.We had considered this model for a portion of a development we are working on, but zoning only allows 20% of the site to be attached doubles and I don't know if I want to try to convince them otherwise. 

Raleigh median: $446,500 (up slightly YoY) Wake County: $465,000 (flat to slightly down YoY) Inventory: Up >30% across Wake County; roughly 3.6 months of supply Days on Market: 36 — almost double last fall How It Impacts You Buy & Hold Investors: Finally have time to negotiate, inspect, and analyze deals.

Are you keeping each room a single --- just double check zoning you don't max out occupancy or become categorized as a hotel. 

You're money can go a good bit further than double in the US.

Real estate in the Milwaukee area has a little more than doubled in the last ten years.

If you want something a bit more polished for tenants, TenantCloud is solid too and still free at the basic level.Since you’re in Austin, double-check your city’s rental registration rules — they’ve tightened a bit in recent years.But yeah, two accounts, simple software, and one clean paper trail — that’s the right foundation for scaling later.

If you want even broader reach, try Apartments.com Corporate Housing section and Zumper Flex.Also, double-check your pricing against others in your exact zip — even being $100 over market for MTRs can kill responses.

Even in a C neighborhood, new flooring, paint, light fixtures, even kitchen cabinets, vanities etc. are relatively inexpensive and can be done yourself fairly easily that would probably drive more value than almost anything else early on.Next, I would focus on trying to drive your active income up. 45k is a great starting place but its much easier to double your salary getting into a useful skill like sales than it is to double your investment returns.