As someone who has spent over 20 years pricing, selling, and advising on all types of investment properties, I’ve seen the full cycle, disciplined cash-flow investors, aggressive speculators, pandemic frenzy buyers, and now a market correcting itself.

For years, the formula was simple and disciplined:

    • 20% down

    • 25-year amortization

    • Rental income covering mortgage, taxes, insurance

    • A small monthly surplus for maintenance and vacancy

    • Modest appreciation over time

An investment property was designed to carry itself. It required effort, screening tenants, managing repairs, handling issues but it wasn’t supposed to drain your personal finances. The mortgage would gradually pay down. The tenant would build your equity. Appreciation was the bonus, not the business model. It wasn’t flashy. It was steady.

Then things changed. Investors began focusing less on cash flow and more on rapid appreciation. Instead of asking: “Does this property carry?”

The question became: “How much will this be worth in two years?”

As prices accelerated, buyers became comfortable:

    • Putting down larger deposits just to secure property

    • Running monthly losses

    • Injecting personal funds to keep properties afloat

    • Accepting negative carry because “values always go up”

Speculation replaced fundamentals. And during COVID, this behavior accelerated at a speed I’ve never seen before.

During the peak of the pandemic surge:

    • 20% down rarely made properties cash-flow positive

    • Many properties required thousands per month to carry

    • Buyers justified losses assuming 15–25% annual appreciation

    • The plan wasn’t long-term hold — it was short-term flip through appreciation

The mindset became: “If I make $150,000 in appreciation over two years, who cares if I lose $12,000 a year carrying it?” For a period of time, that strategy worked. Until it didn’t.

Now we’re in a different environment:

    • Prices have corrected from peak levels

    • Interest rates are significantly higher

    • Rents in some segments have softened

    • Carry costs remain elevated

    • Appreciation is no longer guaranteed

The old 20% down model rarely works today. But here’s the key difference from the COVID era: Not only might a property not carry, it also may not appreciate in the short term. That’s what makes this moment challenging. Speculation without margin is dangerous.

Opportunities still exist — but only if you:

    • Run conservative numbers

    • Stress-test interest rates

    • Factor realistic rents (not optimistic ones)

    • Budget properly for maintenance and vacancy

    • Understand exit strategy before you buy

    • Avoid assuming appreciation will save a poor deal

The days of “buy anything and win” are over. Now it’s about buying right.

The investors who are succeeding right now are:

    • Negotiating harder

    • Looking for motivated sellers

    • Considering value-add opportunities

    • Being selective about location and tenant profile

    • Increasing down payments strategically

    • Thinking 5–10 years, not 12–24 months

They are treating investment property like a business again. Because that’s what it is.

I’ve seen investors build real wealth through:

    • Patience

    • Conservative underwriting

    • Long-term holds

    • Strategic refinancing

    • Smart repositioning

And I’ve seen others get hurt by chasing momentum. This market isn’t easy. But it is navigable.

If you’re willing to:

    • Be extremely calculative

    • Have a defined plan

    • Understand your short-term and long-term objectives

    • Accept that discipline matters more than hype

There are still excellent opportunities. They just require work.

Before you buy anything, you should have clarity on:

    • Your risk tolerance

    • Your monthly comfort level for carrying

    • Your investment horizon

    • Your exit strategy

    • Your capital reserves

With over two decades of experience working through every type of market, I can help you evaluate whether a property truly makes sense — not emotionally, but mathematically.

If you’re looking at an investment opportunity, or even just considering the idea, let’s sit down and build a proper game plan that fits your goals and financial comfort.

There is still money to be made in real estate. But it’s no longer accidental.

Reach out to us and let’s put a strategy together that works, short-term or long-term, based on facts, not hope.