CB Styers Realty | Brokered by eXp Realty.
Buying and growing investments
From your first rental to your next portfolio purchase, Casey Styers brings 13+ years of real estate experience and a practical understanding of investing. Find, compare, and evaluate opportunities across Raleigh, the Triangle, and Coastal NC with your goals and real numbers in view.
Start with a simple property in a stable neighborhood, estimate realistic rent, subtract every monthly cost, and only buy if the cash flow is positive. Casey finds properties and runs the numbers with you.
Percentages are common rules of thumb; real numbers depend on the property.
Subtract every monthly cost — mortgage, taxes, insurance, vacancy, repairs, capital expenses, and management — from realistic rent. What is left is cash flow. Casey runs these numbers with you on every property.
Usually a small, move-in-ready single-family home or duplex in a stable neighborhood — in the Raleigh area, close-in neighborhoods near Downtown and growing nearby towns are common starting points — with steady rental demand. Simple properties make for easier first deals.
Yes, through house hacking: buy a 2–4 unit property, live in one unit, and rent the others. That can qualify you for owner-occupied loans with low down payments.
Online platforms are good for research. A local agent adds on-the-ground knowledge of neighborhoods, rents, and off-market deals, and can negotiate for you.
A debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) loan focuses on the property's rental income instead of your personal income. The lender compares the rent with the property's debt payments to see whether it can support the loan. Credit, down payment, reserves, and the lender's rules still matter.
Casey runs these numbers with you on every deal.
A 1031 exchange can defer capital gains tax when you sell investment real estate and reinvest in qualifying like-kind property. It is a deferral, not a tax-free sale. From the sale of your relinquished property, you generally have 45 days to identify replacement properties and 180 days to close, or your tax return due date including extensions if earlier. A qualified intermediary and your tax adviser should be involved before the sale closes.
Casey runs these numbers with you on every deal.
Capitalization rate compares a property's annual net operating income with its price: net operating income ÷ price. Net operating income is rent and other property income minus operating expenses, before mortgage payments and income taxes. Multiply the result by 100 to express it as a percentage.
For example, $24,000 in annual net operating income on a $400,000 property gives a 6% cap rate. It helps compare properties without the effect of financing, but it doesn't capture your loan costs, future appreciation, or every risk. Higher isn't automatically better.
Casey runs these numbers with you on every deal.
Multi-family properties spread rental income across several units, so one vacancy may not stop all cash flow. They also mean more tenants, turnover, and management. Single-family rentals may be simpler to manage, but a vacancy can mean no rent until the next tenant moves in.
Financing varies by unit count: two-to-four-unit properties may qualify for residential loans, while five or more units generally use commercial financing. Single-family values often follow nearby home sales and buyer demand; larger multi-family values tend to depend more on rental income. Cash flow and appreciation in either case depend on location, condition, price, and expenses.
Casey runs these numbers with you on every deal.
This is general education, not tax, legal, or lending advice. Talk with your CPA, attorney, and lender about your situation.