Make Money with Affordable Apartment Buildings and Commercial Properties, Second Edition , shows you how to build wealth with affordable multi-unit residential and commercial buildings. Low-priced income properties can yield higher returns than single-family homes?especially if you manage them yourself. This book shows you how to find, assess, buy, and manage apartment buildings, retail offices, self-storage, and other overlooked investment alternatives. In today?s tough housing market, these properties offer great returns. REAL ESTATE Make money with affordable apartment buildings and commercial properties In the Make Money series, renowned real estate investor and bestselling author Gary W. Eldred shows you how to profit from the safest, most reliable wealth builder in the world—real estate. With coverage of all the fundamentals, Eldred shows you the ropes so you don't have to learn important lessons the hard way. If you've been investing in single-family homes but want a new way to make even more money, maybe it's time to make the jump to apartment buildings and commercial properties. Make Money with Affordable Apartment Buildings and Commercial Properties, Second Edition shows you how to set the right strategy and start investing in bigger properties—from apartment complexes to strip malls and office parks. Fully revised to cover the basics of this hot investment sector, this step-by-step guide reveals everything you need to know to expand your investment empire, including: Crafting a market strategy that suits you - Finding commercial or multifamily properties with big potential - Evaluating the local economy for long-term opportunity - Identifying and beating your competition - Choosing a target market - Collecting rents and managing properties for increased income - Building equity quickly and simply - Using creative strategies for generating more income - And much more REAL ESTATE Make money with affordable apartment buildings and commercial properties In the Make Money series, renowned real estate investor and bestselling author Gary W. Eldred shows you how to profit from the safest, most reliable wealth builder in the world real estate. With coverage of all the fundamentals, Eldred shows you the ropes so you don't have to learn important lessons the hard way. If you've been investing in single-family homes but want a new way to make even more money, maybe it's time to make the jump to apartment buildings and commercial properties. Make Money with Affordable Apartment Buildings and Commercial Properties, Second Edition shows you how to set the right strategy and start investing in bigger properties from apartment complexes to strip malls and office parks. Fully revised to cover the basics of this hot investment sector, this step-by-step guide reveals everything you need to know to expand your investment empire, including: Crafting a market strategy that suits you - Finding commercial or multifamily properties with big potential - Evaluating the local economy for long-term opportunity - Identifying and beating your competition - Choosing a target market - Collecting rents and managing properties for increased income - Building equity quickly and simply - Using creative strategies for generating more income - And much more GARY W. ELDRED, P H D, has invested successfully in real estate for more than twenty-five years and has served on the graduate business school faculty at Stanford University and the University of Virginia. One of America's top-selling real estate authors, Eldred's other books include Investing in Real Estate, Fifth Edition, Trump University Real Estate 101, and Make Money with Flippers, Fixers, and Renovations, Second Edition , all from Wiley. Make Money with Affordable Apartment Buildings and Commercial Properties By Gary W. Eldred John Wiley & Sons Copyright © 2008 Gary W. Eldred All right reserved. ISBN: 978-0-470-18343-4 Chapter One Profit with Commercial and Multifamily Properties Increasingly, small investors are beginning to explore the wealth-building opportunities offered by affordable commercial and multifamily properties. Because such properties provide many advantages, I encourage you to get into this lucrative field. Advantages of Commercial and Multifamily Properties Most would-be real estate investors already own a personal residence, so buying a single-family house to rent out merely repeats a familiar purchase process. In contrast, small investors usually steer clear of commercial and multifamily investments. Most likely, they fear that such properties cost too much or require extensive expertise. Neither of these perceived roadblocks is true. In fact, at the age of 21, I began investing in multifamily properties with a 5-unit property, followed by a 7-unit property, and next added 10 units to my portfolio. If I could manage to buy and operate such properties, so can you. Neither beginning nor seasoned single-family residen