Eight posts on how to evaluate small multifamily deals — not as a formula, but as a system. Start here and read in order. Each post builds on the last.
This series is for the solo operator — someone buying and managing 1–10 unit multifamily, wearing every hat. Not syndicators. Not passive investors. Operators.
The posts aren't standalone explainers. They're a sequence. The framework only holds together if you've built the foundation underneath it. Read from Step 1. By the end, you'll have a complete picture of how to evaluate a deal — from the market it's in, to the exact return it will produce after all costs are counted.
Follow in order. Each step builds on the last.
The frameworks sold to syndicators don't translate to 1–10 unit operators. Before you touch a formula, understand why the operating context is fundamentally different — and what that means for how you analyze deals.
Read post →The seven-step rapid analysis method — from gross rent to actual cash flow. This post introduces the full evaluation sequence and explains why most operators are running the wrong numbers.
Read post →No formula replaces knowing where the numbers come from. This post walks the three-layer market funnel — state economics, city dynamics, neighborhood microeconomics — and explains how to build directional market knowledge, not just point-in-time comps.
Read post →Fast operators don't analyze everything — they filter first. This post covers how to define your buy box as an output of market knowledge, why specialization builds pattern recognition, and how to refine your criteria as you learn.
Read post →PITI against rent is not cash flow — it's optimism. This post unpacks the town-specific and property-specific costs that don't show up in any spreadsheet template: sewer taxes, rental registration, trash fees, and the variable expenses that quietly kill returns.
Read post →Seller financing changes the math on deals that don't pencil with conventional financing. This post covers how to identify motivated sellers, structure terms that work for both sides, and underwrite a deal where the seller holds the note.
Read post →Most operators underfund reserves because they're calculating from replacement cost instead of component lifecycle. This post walks the correct math: how to build a component table, calculate the monthly reserve contribution, and reframe reserves as a cost of ownership — not a cash drain.
Read post →The synthesis post. Everything from the prior seven posts feeds into one calculation: the all-in cost formula that converts a listed price into an actual, defensible return. If you've read the series, this is where it clicks.
Read the capstone →The full evaluation workflow, synthesized. Every step from market knowledge through return calculation — plus the anti-guru case for why the speed comes from repetition, not shortcuts. Read this last.
Read the masterclass →The Property Evaluation Calculator puts the full framework to work — market inputs, all-in costs, cash-on-cash return. Start evaluating with real numbers.
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