Real Estate Remains Among the Best Cash Flow Investments (2024)

The impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the economy has forced people to re-assess what to invest in. If you are wondering where to invest money, one thing that can help you identify good investments is the potential cash flow. If you have enough cash coming in, you will be able to weather emergencies while having funds to make more investments. For savvy investors, cash is king. But what are the best cash flow investments?

While there are several investment opportunities that promise cash flow, not all options will work equally well for you. If you are looking for the best way to invest money to generate good cash flow, you should consider real estate investing. In this article, we’ll look at some of the key reasons why real estate is among the best cash flow investments.

Why Real Estate Is One of the Best Cash Flow Investments

1. More Resilience

One key factor that makes real estate among the best investments for cash flow is its stability. Investing in real estate offers an opportunity for more consistent cash flow than other investments. While consumer spending usually declines when there’s an economic downturn, people will always need a place to live. Moreover, populations are always increasing, which increases demand for housing each year.

Many industries have been adversely impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but the US real estate market has remained resilient. Unlike in other industries, real estate cash flow can still be expected despite the struggles facing the economy. If you want an investment strategy that can weather a pandemic, consider real estate investing.

2. Ability to Earn Passive Income

If you are thinking of how to make passive income in 2021, real estate investment is a great option. The ability of real estate to generate passive investment income makes it among the best cash flow investments. However, this is not possible with all real estate investment strategies. Three common ways to earn passive income with real estate are to invest in rentals, REITs, and real estate crowdfunding.

Managing your rental properties yourself can be time-consuming and stressful. However, you can decide to hire a professional property management company to operate the rental property for you. Although hiring a property manager will eat into your profits, you will have more time to focus on other things. You also don’t have to deal with tenants yourself, which can be a headache. However, be sure to do your due diligence before hiring a property manager to ensure that they are competent and experienced. That’s the right way to turn income properties into one of the best cash flow investments.

3. Capital Appreciation

Apart from monthly cash flow, what makes real estate one of the best cash flow investments is real estate appreciation. If you hold the investment property, it will appreciate in value with time. You will, therefore, make a profit when you decide to sell. Rents also go up with time. So, you will be able to generate even more cash flow in the future, thus keeping your rate of return constant or potentially even increasing over time.

4. Better Control Over Your Cash Flow

When you invest in stocks or bitcoin, your returns are completely dependent on the competence of the company’s managers as they will influence performance. Investing in stocks and cryptocurrency basically has a higher risk since you are not guaranteed future returns on your investment.

Rental property investing is among the best real estate investments for cash flow because the opportunity to maximize investment income is in your hands. For instance, you can upgrade your property and add amenities like a gym and a pool. This increases its value and allows you to charge higher rent, thereby increasing your real estate cash flow.

You can also maximize rental property cash flow by cutting expenses. For instance, you can opt to cut down on management costs by managing the property yourself. Alternatively, you can refinance your mortgage when interest rates are low and lower your monthly mortgage payments.

Related: How to Maximize Real Estate Cash Flow

5. Predictable Real Estate Cash Flow

For most investments, it’s hard to predict the amount of cash flow you will get. With real estate, it’s possible to predict the potential cash flow even before you make a purchase. As long as you buy a rental property in a good location and keep it occupied, you can be assured of monthly rental income. To know what your rental property cash flow will be, you simply need to determine what you’ll be charging for rent and deduct the monthly rental expenses.

Related: Learn About Real Estate Cash Flow Analysis in One Blog

How to Find the Best Cash Flow Properties

Although real estate is one of the best cash flow investments, not all rental properties are guaranteed to generate positive cash flow. The best way to ensure positive cash flow is to buy the right property in the right market. You don’t want to use your hard-earned money to buy an income property only to end up with negative cash flow. So, be sure to do your due diligence before you make a purchase.

Related:Why Positive Cash Flow Is a Must with Income Properties

If you want to find the best cash flow properties in the US housing market, the easiest way to do it is to use Mashvisor’s real estate cash flow calculator. This tool estimates monthly rental income and rental expenses and does the cash flow calculations for you. The cash flow calculator also computes other key real estate metrics like cash on cash return, cap rate, and occupancy rate.

Find Cash Flow Properties Now

The Bottom Line

If you are thinking about how to invest your money, investing for cash flow is a great way to achieve your financial goals. With many investment strategies available, it can be confusing which route to take. Should you invest in stocks, bitcoin, real estate, or another business? Based on the reasons we’ve discussed above, it is evident that real estate is among the best cash flow investments. If you are intrigued by the prospect of owning a rental property, be sure to use Mashvisor’s real estate investment software to find income properties in the US housing market and analyze them.

To get access to our real estate investment tools, click here to sign up for a 7-day free trial of Mashvisor today, followed by 15% off for life.

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Real Estate Remains Among the Best Cash Flow Investments (2024)

FAQs

Real Estate Remains Among the Best Cash Flow Investments? ›

Many investors find that real estate investments are a great way to generate cash flow, largely because of the ongoing and fairly steady monthly income. Take a rental property, for example. Let's say you purchased in a single family home and were able to rent it out for $1,500 per month.

Is real estate good for cash flow? ›

When you're discussing real estate cash flows, you're talking about money that's generated by the property (i.e. rental income) and money that's spent in association with the property. Real estate investments can generate positive cash flow or negative cash flow.

What type of real estate has the most cash flow? ›

Commercial properties are considered one of the best types of real estate investments because of their potential for higher cash flow. If you decide to invest in a commercial property, you could enjoy these attractive benefits: Higher-income potential. Longer leases.

Is real estate the best investment? ›

Real estate ownership is generally considered a hedge against inflation, as home values and rents typically increase with inflation. There can be tax advantages to property ownership. Homeowners may qualify for a tax deduction for mortgage interest paid on up to the first $750,000 in mortgage debt.

How do 90% of millionaires make their money? ›

Real estate investment has long been a cornerstone of financial success, with approximately 90% of millionaires attributing their wealth in part to real estate holdings. In this article, we delve into the reasons why real estate is a preferred vehicle for creating millionaires and how you can leverage its potential.

How to maximize cash flow in real estate? ›

The five best tips for maximizing cash flow include purchasing property at a low price, increasing rent, slashing operational costs with proptech, creating multiple streams of income with mixed-use properties, and reducing tenant turnover.

Is it better to have cash or real estate? ›

While real estate is more lucrative over time than holding cash, it has more risk. On the other hand, holding onto money or putting it into something safe like a CD or savings account might earn smaller yields, but you have less chance of losing it altogether. Luckily, you don't need to choose just one place to invest!

What is the most profitable real estate to invest in? ›

5 Most Profitable Real Estate Ventures
  1. Residential Real Estate Development. ...
  2. Commercial Real Estate Investment. ...
  3. Real Estate Crowdfunding. ...
  4. Real Estate Technology ( PropTech) ...
  5. Short-Term Rentals and Vacation Properties.
Dec 28, 2023

What is the most profitable use of a property? ›

Commercial Real Estate: Commercial properties, such as office buildings, retail spaces, and industrial warehouses, can offer substantial income potential, especially in prime locations with high demand. Long-term leases with businesses and corporations can provide stable cash flow.

Is real estate the fastest way to build wealth? ›

And when asked the best ways to build wealth, real estate was the most popular response, LendingTree found: Real estate: 45% Stock market: 32% Savings bonds: 21%

Do most millionaires invest in real estate? ›

7 Reasons Why 90% of Millionaires in the U.S. are Invested in Real Estate & Why You Should Be Too. Ninety percent of all millionaires become so through owning real estate. More money has been made in real estate than in all industrial investments combined.

What is the 2% rule in real estate? ›

The 2% rule is a rule of thumb that determines how much rental income a property should theoretically be able to generate. Following the 2% rule, an investor can expect to realize a positive cash flow from a rental property if the monthly rent is at least 2% of the purchase price.

What makes more millionaires stocks or real estate? ›

It's harder to get rich off stocks than it is to get rich off real estate. The main reason why is due to the absolute amount of money you need to risk to get rich in stocks. Even if your $5,000 stock investment goes up 50%, that's only $2,500.

What wealth puts you in the top 1%? ›

The top 1% of household net worth in the U.S. was just shy of $13.7 million in 2023. An individual would have to earn an average of $407,500 per year to join the top 1%. A household would need an income of $591,550. The median household income was $74,580 in 2023 and $45,440 for individuals.

How to become wealthy in 5 years? ›

Here are seven proven steps to get you wealthy in five years:
  1. Build your financial literacy skills. ...
  2. Take control of your finances. ...
  3. Get in the wealthy mindset. ...
  4. Create a budget and live within your means. ...
  5. Step 5: Save to invest. ...
  6. Create multiple income sources. ...
  7. Surround yourself with other wealthy people.
Mar 21, 2024

What percent of millionaires make 100k a year? ›

Choose the right career

And one crucial detail to note: Millionaire status doesn't equal a sky-high salary. “Only 31% averaged $100,000 a year over the course of their career,” the study found, “and one-third never made six figures in any single working year of their career.”

How does real estate generate cash flow? ›

Rents. On the income side of the ledger, rent is the single most important factor when determining the amount of cash flow a property produces. Since rental income is derived from the amount of contractual rent that a tenant is required to pay, it can go up or down based on market conditions.

What is the cash flow yield in real estate? ›

The Cash on Cash Return, or “Cash Yield,” compares a real estate investment property's annual pre-tax cash flow to the initial equity investment.

What is good cash flow for rental property? ›

The average cash flow on a rental property for most investors is an 8% return on investment, or ROI. Others will strive for an ROI of 15%.

What is the net cash flow of real estate? ›

Net cash flow can be determined using the formula net operating income (NOI) less debt service payments, tenant improvements, leasing commissions and capital expenditures.

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