The cash purchase allowed a modest discount on asking price as well as heading to the front of the line of multiple offers.

The University of Michigan’s January sentiment reading inched higher for a second straight month, signaling modest improvement, but confidence remains deeply depressed versus a year ago as consumers continue to cite high prices and a softening labor market.

Even modest changes in housing costs can meaningfully move the overall inflation picture, and shelter prices edged slightly higher in December.Bottom line: Inflation isn’t accelerating — but it isn’t gone either.

If the deal only works because of them, it’s probably not a deal.Where I’ve seen investors make it work in similar markets is: modest rehab to reset rents, slightly higher down payments to stabilize cash flow, or pairing cash flow with a longer-term equity story instead of forcing both aggressively on day one.If anything, you may just need to adjust expectations on where the return shows up early (steady but modest cash flow + risk-adjusted stability), rather than loosening your math.Happy to compare notes or walk through a deal if you want a second set of eyes

Apartments and industrial grew more modestly, while data centers predictably led the pack.The takeaway isn't that everything is back—it's that liquidity is returning and investors are getting off the sidelines.

Once a market proves it can deliver power, fiber, water, and permits, capital returns again and again.But employment per dollar invested is modest.

I just don’t want to buy a deal that bleeds cash or only works “on paper.”So my questions for those who’ve been through this stage:Is modest cash flow on a first 2–4 unit still realistic today, or is my expectation outdated?

It is usually modest, but definitely possible. 

Strip those out, and job growth likely would’ve been negative again.Why this matters: A softer labor market increases pressure on the Fed to stay accommodative — which generally helps mortgage rates.Private Payrolls Rebound — But the Trend Is Still WeakPrivate-sector hiring bounced back modestly in December, with 41,000 jobs added, according to ADP.

We expect some modest capex to freshen it up in year 1.