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All Forum Posts by: Damian Callaghan

Damian Callaghan has started 6 posts and replied 20 times.

Quote from @Account Closed:

Hey @Damian Callaghan

As accountants on BP, we are not allowed to self-promote. In your search, be sure to find an accountant that is willing to grow with you, and is not too high priced. The problem I see often with accountants on here is that they are specialized in larger investors, and have really high prices. Another thing I see is folks thinking they need someone local to them in order to get great service. That isn't the case and in fact can be contradictory. If someone works with folks in all states like us, we have experience dealing with the real estate laws there and have "walked the walk" Which in my opinion is really what you want. An accountant doing the same strategies as you in real estate is ideal. For example, I invest personally in multifamily real estate and do real estate professional status. We do this exact same thing for 100s of our clients. Gotta find someone who practices what they preach! Good luck in your search! 


 Update 

What I am finding is BP contacts do not want to engage unless they are paid upfront. They want the job before they have proven they are worth the job. I am still searching for a credible tax strategist and business formation consultant (CPA who can file as well). 

Target - A company who understands the real-estate market, someone who can educate as they go, someone who delivers a high value service and understands tax law. Then you get my business and earn more than a CPA - apparently they are few and far between.

What I dont need is another tax attorney like one recently from PA who told me not to contact him again until I purchased his 'SYSTEM' - Please - is this what the world has come to!! 

I am familiar of companies who specialize in tax strategy planning around the USA but I’m a firm believer in relationships built from occasional in person meetings and ‘being local’. I am looking for  referrals for CPA’s who have an expert knowledge of tax law and work  proactively to help clients leverage the tax system to meet their goals. I am not looking for a service that only completes tax returns. Ideally the CPA is an investor themselves 

Quote from @Caleb Brown:

We payed 158K for ours, 10% down. The gross income the past 2 months of 5K per month. We pay a PM to manage and have a cleaning fee every time. The expenses are around $1,500 a month so everything after is gravy.  


 Would love to know where 

Quote from @Jorge Vazquez:

Have you considered investing in Ybor? I've had great success with two properties I bought for under $170k each, renting for $4k each.

What type of property in Ybor? Purchase price sub $170 and $4k monthly revenue? 

I have a few commercial and LTR but keen to get in to STR for some monthly returns but also as a tax strategy. I'm in Sarasota but I like st Pete. I was originally looking at Indian rocks beach but have extended my search to Seminole (both zoned for STR). I'm struggling to find anything which is frustrating…..

my aim was to buy somewhere early in 2024 but I’m analyzing a lot of deals and coming up short. Quite frankly I can’t be parting with a few hundred grand to make a few bucks a month 


any advice? 

Quote from @Dustin Taylor:
Quote from @Collin Hays:
Quote from @Dustin Taylor:

Hey Everyone! Who here self manages their own short term rental portfolio? I own and manage a few properties and I have had much success with my systems. Would anyone like to share all or their favorite their self management tools?

Hospitable for OTA management.

Sensi is great for HVAC control

Simplisafe is a great security system

Pricelabs great tool for dynamic pricing

Schlage is great for for door access (still have back up combo boxes)

Those are great gizmos!  The main "tools" that you are missing are good people within a 10 minute drive of your rental that can come and fix things stat: We just began managing a property for a homeowner that was self managing from three states away.  She had a 7-day stay checking in December 23, worth over $4,000, and when the guests arrived, NO HEAT.  The soonest she could get someone out to even look at it was the 26th.  She lost the stay.

Moral of the story is, if you don't have repair people that can respond QUICKLY to save a stay, you are likely going to give up far more money self managing than you are saving. Stuff happens at cabins and rentals all the time, that gizmos can't fix.


 Completely Agree!! Your local team is a must! We have properties 6hrs away rom us. When starting up a new listing we interview 3 different cleaners and handymen. We have 2-3 page list of questions how we like things to be. If they meet our criteria we move forward. We always meet in person, as you can learn much more from them than talking on the phone. 

 @dustin Taylor 


is that list of questions something you would be prepared to share with the community? I’m keen to learn from other people’s experiences 

@Dustin Taylorundefined

Quote from @Mike H.:

Does anybody else have an issue with these numbers? 
So again, lets use the smokies example because i'm somewhat familiar with the area these days.

Lets say you buy 2,000 3/3 cabin for 825k fully furnished which is now doable.
And lets say you can get 10% loan and put down 82k with a remaining loan of 740k roughly.
Assuming 7.5% interest over 30, you're looking at mortgage payments of roughly 60k a year.
Assuming 110k in gross rents (rents have fallen a bit there too) for that product and 20% property management, you're looking at 22k a year in PM fees. Utilities, repairs, insurance, etc another 15k to 20k a year assuming you're able to push most of the costs down to the guests? You're at about 100k a year or so outgoing.

That leaves you with roughly 10k a year in profits. On 82k investment, thats 12 percent COC return.

And people are saying thats not enough?????

Now look at the overall numbers. Again, this is real estate investing. Rental income is a small portion of the returns. On that loan, the principal paydown is another 7k to 8k a year. Now you're getting 17k to 18k in profits boosting your ROI to 22%. You have depreciation of 28k or so a year. Assuming a reasonable tax bracket, thats an additional 5k to 6k in cash there too. Now you're at 29% ROI? And then add appreciation. This year maybe nothing. Maybe it goes down. But historically it goes up 5 to 7% out there. So lets say over 5 year period it goes up 4% a year, thats an additional 30k a year in appreciation.

Thats over 50k in overall profits/equity that property is generating which, on an 82k investment, you're looking at a return of close to 65%.

Now here's the other thing. That 65% ROI is JUST FOR OPENERS. Over time, your mortgage payment stays the same. But your rents go up so your rental income goes up. Over time, your depreciation goes up. Over time, your appreciation goes up. If this year you get 4% times 825k and make a little over 30k in appreciation, when the property is worth a million, you're making 40ka year in appreciation.

In 10 years, that 82k investment is no longer making you 65% ROI. Its making you 120% ROI.

And, oh by the way, if the rates go back down in the next few years to say 5% to 5.5%, you could refinance and make an additional 12k a year just in interest savings as well.

Quite honestly, you could break even on your cash on cash return but still come out with some amazing wealth if you invest in STR's like that. People just need to account for all the ways that real estate is making them money.

And oh by the way, if interest rates come back down to 5.5% again, that 825k cabin is going to gain an additional 100k in value almost overnight. 


  @Mike H 

I like where your head is at. It’s big picture and the way I’m thinking of it. I have one more to throw in if my research is correct - take away the management cost and use tools to automate the management 

1. likely increases your monthly profit 

2. You become material in the management and can apply those tax benefits to your W2. I don’t know how much $$$$ or what % this knocks off your taxes but is one of my main motivators 

my issue here is Investor loans are like 20-25% down. In today’s crazy house price market that could clear a new investor out and leave little to scale the business. You’re looking at $150-200k just to get in the game. 

Welcome experience from the network here 

Hi there 

I recently I have invested in a commercial property hat I intend to do as salon suite and booth rental. I want a mobile door system to reduce the management overhead of keys. Particularly given I could have up to 12 tenants at any time. I want to see who is coming and going (access wise) and I also want to be able to control access (for example if o have a bad tenant block access. Or if I have a delivery permit real time access). I'm assuming STR investors may have some advice. The only caveat is that these are glass commercial doors. I would also want cameras on the common foyer areas. All advice welcome

Post: Tenant Dispute Advice

Damian CallaghanPosted
  • Posts 21
  • Votes 7

Hey there - I am hoping this community can offer some solid advice to take the emotion, stress and potential cost out of tenancy disputes. I am new to renting - in this case it is a commercial property. I am in the last month of lease before the tenant moves out and they have withheld $500 for a rug that was damaged. As it turns out the HOA accessed the premises to do work without anyone's permission and damaged the rug. I didn't think tenants could just refuse to pay rental first of all. But they are now in control. I enquired about a litigation attorney and its $1K to even speak to someone.

I would welcome any advice on the above but more importantly I am OK with accepting a $500 hit if I learn from the problem. 

When I get in to these situations I need to have the backing of a legal professionals without it costing an arm and a leg. If every tenant I had just decided not to pay and I had to pay $1K to potentially get $500 back I would soon go out of business. How do the rest of you guys deal with disputes of this matter? Where do you get legal advice from so you know your rights?

Post: Buying a college property

Damian CallaghanPosted
  • Posts 21
  • Votes 7

I probably should have elaborated slightly. This would be a long term investment am with CoC as a primary strategy. 4 rooms at approx $1k a month (have to do some more homework here). I already have a few commercial properties and one residential so this would be my 5th investment. The short term savings on alternative rental is an additional benefit. In my mind he and I are putting that $30k saved from rental on a long term shared investment. I was aware of FHA but wasn't sure how you qualify as a student unless I go as guarantee? I certainly prefer the 3.5% deposit versus 20% if we can work that angle