That’s question every buyer wants answered when they invest in real estate, but that begs the question; cash flow or appreciation. Many investors in California and Las Vegas in the last couple of years purchased property for the appreciation; properties were doubling in value in 6 to 12 months. Cap rates were extremely low and cash flow was questionable but heck if you could double your money in a short period of time who cares. Well just as the gold rush ended so did the land rush come to a screeching halt and those investors that held too long are now upside down with little or no cash flow to support the investment. You’ve heard of the importance of Location, Location and Location when buying real estate, well when in investing in commercial real estate you can add Cash Flow, Cash Flow and Cash Flow. Cash flow however has to be computed for the duration of your projected holding period, and your financial calculations must include a capital reserve to cover expected capital expenditures to maintain the property over that time period. The amount of risk in the investment will affect the returns expected, generally higher risk properties yield a greater return and conversely lower risk yields a lower return. I can’t repeat this enough do your homework before you make that commitment.