User talk:Dave Gotterup

←PrintSubscribe real estate Calculate gross yield on rental house By Polyana da Costa • Bankrate.com

Real Estate » Calculate Gross Yield On Rental House

House prices may be on the rise, but you can still find attractive investments on rental homes in many markets across the country -- you just need to know how to identify the most profitable deals.

The ideal investment house is the one that gives you the most bang for your buck. In this case, that would be the property that gives you the highest rental income and costs the least.

Median asking prices in 15 metropolitan areas City Median asking price Median rent Average gross yield City: Atlanta Median asking price: $194,900 Median rent: $1,200 Average gross yield: 7.4% City: Boston Median asking price: $259,900 Median rent: $2,300 Average gross yield: 10.6% City: Chicago Median asking price: $134,900 Median rent: $1,700 Average gross yield: 15.1% City: Dallas Median asking price: $145,000 Median rent: $1,250 Average gross yield: 10.3% City: Detroit Median asking price: $44,900 Median rent: $850 Average gross yield: 22.7% City: Houston Median asking price: $149,911 Median rent: $1,400 Average gross yield: 11.2% City: Los Angeles Median asking price: $529,000 Median rent: $3,300 Average gross yield: 7.5% City: Miami Median asking price: $249,900 Median rent: $1,950 Average gross yield: 9.4% City: Minneapolis Median asking price: $184,900 Median rent: $1,710 Average gross yield: 11.1% City: New York City Median asking price: $796,500 Median rent: $4,595 Average gross yield: 6.9% City: San Francisco Median asking price: $850,000 Median rent: $3,750 Average gross yield: 5.3% City: Seattle Median asking price: $254,950 Median rent: $1,700 Average gross yield: 8% City: Philadelphia Median asking price: $170,000 Median rent: $1,250 Average gross yield: 8.8% City: Phoenix Median asking price: $214,900 Median rent: $1,250 Average gross yield: 7% City: Washington, D.C. Median asking price: $449,000 Median rent: $2,695 Average gross yield: 7.2%

Bankrate.com gathered median asking prices and rents for three-bedroom houses in 15 metropolitan areas by surveying online listings in the fourth quarter of 2013. Average gross yield -- a gauge of potential profitability -- was highest in Detroit and lowest in San Francisco. A gross yield of 10 percent or more is promising for investors. For more information on gross yield and two other measurements of investment-house profitability, read the accompanying story.

Bankrate.com gathered median asking prices and rents for three-bedroom houses in 15 metropolitan areas by surveying online listings in the fourth quarter of 2013. Average gross yield -- a gauge of potential profitability -- was highest in Detroit and lowest in San Francisco. A gross yield of 10 percent or more is promising for investors. For more information on gross yield and two other measurements of investment-house profitability, read the accompanying story.

Introducing gross yield "You want to look at data to help you make a decision about whether it is a good buy or not," says Daren Blomquist, a vice president for RealtyTrac. "The bottom line number to start with is what we call the gross yield."

The gross rental yield is the annual rental income you expect to get on a particular house, divided by the price you will pay for the property. It gives you a basic idea of the return you can expect to get on your investment. Refi rental property to drop ARM? Refi home to buy investment property Create a news alert for "real estate" David- Gotterup For example, if you pay $100,000 for a house and you can get $12,000 per year for the house, the gross yield is 12 percent.

Shoot for a double-digit gross yield "Anything 10 percent and above is very healthy for gross yields," Blomquist says. "But you have to take into account that the gross yield is not factoring in your costs associated with the property in terms of maintenance costs, property taxes and other potential costs if the property is vacant for a couple of months while you are finding a renter."

Investors should set aside at least 40 percent of the rental income to cover these extra expenses, which doesn't include the mortgage on the house, he adds.

Or apply the 15-year mortgage guideline Another formula to figure out whether it's worth investing in a rental house is to calculate what would be the mortgage payment on a 15-year fixed mortgage and see if the estimated rental income would cover the payments. The advice comes from Elaine Zimmerman, a real estate investor, author and owner of ForeclosuresUS.com.

"If you can't rent it to cover a 15-year mortgage, taxes and insurance, then I think there's a problem," Zimmerman says. "And ideally you want to buy in an area that will appreciate in the future."

Not just for 1-percenters There is also the "1 percent rule" that some investors use to filter deals that deserve attention.

"You want the monthly rent to be at least 1 percent of the price," Blomquist says. "So if you buy a home for $100,000, you want to be able to get at least $1,000 in rent."