We provided a nice “State of the Indianapolis Real Estate Market” during last week’s blog.

It’s not a secret… buying rental real estate in this market is tough. 

And, frankly, it has been for a few years now.

Our brokerage group works hard - every day - to find deals.

We write a lot of offers and, more times than not, we get outbid. 

Losing out on properties is part of the territory. Our job is to continue to provide opportunities for our Clients, which educating them along the way. 

As one of the Agents here at T&H Realty, I speak with numerous investors on a weekly basis. 

Most of those conversations go something like this:

“HI, I’m Joe Investor and I’m looking to purchase properties in Indianapolis. I’ve heard it’s a great area to invest, and real estate is much more affordable than where I live. I’m looking for cash flowing properties in good areas that meet or exceed the 1% rule.”

Then, I typically have to be the one to burst their bubble a bit. 

Now don’t get me wrong, Indianapolis certainly is a great place to invest. Our economy is thriving and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. 

However, with a thriving, growing economy comes a more popular and competitive real estate market. 

When you decide to invest in real estate, you have to have the proper expectations, and I’m finding that some investors just don’t, and that creates a very frustrating experience all around. 

So, as an Indianapolis investor, here’s what you can expect in 2020.

As a current or future Real Estate Investor, you’ve likely given some thought as to what type of rental properties you want to acquire.

The big debate really comes down to 2 main categories, single-family (SFR) vs. multi-family (MFR). 

So, which one is right for you?

Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and similar to most other real estate investing questions, the answer is....

"It really just depends." 

It depends on your investment goals, strategy, and overall end game. 

You’ll find convincing arguments for both SFR and MFR, leaving it up to you to weigh the pros and cons of each to determine what will be the best route for you. 

And that’s just what we hope to help you do as we provide insight into both investment types.

Note: For the purposes of this blog, single-family will refer to single-family, detached homes. We have an entire blog that discusses the pros and cons of investing in condos. 

Fishers is a suburb just northeast of Indianapolis in Hamilton County. 

Originally settled by William Conner in 1802, Fishers only just transitioned from a town to a city in 2015 and has experienced rapid population growth decade to decade. 

In 2017, Fishers was named Money Magazines #1 place to live in the United States. 

As of 2017, the population was estimated to be around 91,832. 

According to City Data, the median household income as of 2017 was $113,560 with a median age of 35.3 and females making up a slight majority (52.1%) of the population. 

According to MLS data, the median home value for the last year was $276,313 and the median rent rate was $1,565.

When it comes to Indianapolis real estate investing, there are several different types of properties you can pursue. 

There's single family, duplexes, townhomes, commercial, apartment buildings, and the topic of today's discussion, condominiums. 

Every type of property investment has pros and cons, and condos are no different. 

Some investors will tell you condos are a great investment, and others will tell you they're the worst. 

It really just comes down to your investment goals and what you're looking for as a Landlord. 

Buyer clients frequently ask us if they should consider condos, and while we can't give a definitive yes or no answer, we can provide some pros and cons. 

Carmel, Indiana is a northern suburb of Indianapolis located in Hamilton County with an estimated population of 98,332.

And, before we go any further, Carmel rhymes with Marvel. Natives get pretty touchy about incorrect pronunciations. 

Carmel has some pretty big claims to fame, being named one of the best places to live in the United States for multiple years, by multiple publications. 

It's known in some circles as the "Beverly Hills of the Midwest."