All Forum Posts by: Brandon Rizzo

I completely agree with Kim—hiring an attorney to help draft your lease is a smart move! Additionally, I recommend implementing an inventory process to document and track your furnishings. This will help protect your assets and ensure everything is accounted for.

Be sure to use a move-in condition checklist with your incoming tenant. This creates clarity about the property’s condition both before tenancy begins and after it ends, helping to avoid any disputes.

Regarding utilities, make sure your lease clearly outlines how utility billing will be handled. Decide upfront whether to include utilities in the rent or bill tenants separately. Also, don’t forget to check your local municipal code for any regulations regarding utility billing to ensure compliance.

Good luck! Let me know if you have any questions or need further guidance.

Welcome Alex! 

Hey Justin, I agree with what others have said—you don’t need a license to become a real estate investor or entrepreneur. Licenses are typically required if you plan to work in a professional real estate role, like as an agent or broker. If you’re considering switching careers, pursuing a license could be a great opportunity. Many online courses are self-paced, so working on it in your spare time is absolutely doable.

If a career shift isn’t your goal, you can still learn the "game" through various other means. Start by exploring books, YouTube channels, market research, and analyzing trends in neighborhoods. Developing strong financial and business acumen is also crucial for success as an investor, so that’s another area where you could focus your efforts if getting a license doesn’t align with your plans.

I’m here as a resource—feel free to reach out if there’s anything I can do to help!

Great share Neil! Texas FTW! 

Welcome Sebastien! Agree with Nathan, awesome resources at your disposal. Connecting 1 on 1 with folks is always a good option too!

At the very least you will want to have some general foundations set because with time you will modify processes and the learnings via experience you gain. Setting your vision and mission for the company will be crucial now. This can become a selling point or value proposition for your future clients. In fact, getting ahead of it now while your business is small might enable you to grow faster so you're not scrambling to build these in the middle of the growth. 

For example, maybe you will get to 10, 20, 30 houses and then find an owner who has a large portfolio and all of a sudden you are at a high door count and now need to hire, need to build your policy binder, and all the other stuff that comes with running a business. That might cause you unnecessary stress and lead to dropped balls for your clients. 

I launched our property management operations in Texas with already established company processes and continued to build and iterate with time. When I helped start a restaurant, I tried to prepare as much of this stuff as I could before opening and it saved me stress and time repeatedly. Never underestimate the power or preparation and setting yourself up for future success! 

All the best and blessings to you and your business in 2025 @Brandon Larson!

Hey Kent, I think strategy matters a great deal as well. Cash Flow vs Buy and Hold, etc...
That can help determine areas to invest, as some areas are better for cash flow and don't appreciate that much. Would be something to consider!

Texas has been in a buyers/renters market for a while now. There are always deals out there and Texas is experiencing a return to normal with pricing coming down and supply staying up. Long term Texas should remain strong for multiple strategies. 

I also love @Alecia Loveless idea with taxes, very good stuff!

Hey Michael! Did you already sell these? 

Location matters a great deal. When it comes to rentals it effects the rent pricing and how competitive an area can be. A factor I am frequently discussing with clients is the nature of our current market shifts in Texas. For example, if you buy in a semi-rural area or suburban area the pool of applicants can be much smaller and with an increase in supply it creates a downward pressure on prices and higher days on market averages. I've seen new build developments where 10+ units are for rent all at similar prices and sit for months. On the flip side I've seen neighborhoods where we manage multiple units and the house is leased in less than 2 weeks. These examples occur in the same city or surrounding metros. Location is very important. Speak to real estate agents in the areas you are interested in but also speak to property managers who can give you a sense of the rental market and analysis of pricing. 

IMO: Austin is in a buy and hold status. Cash flow is hard right now for people entering the market, but Austin will remain a great long term investment. Ahead of schedule on inventory, short term pain for long term gain. Rest of country undersupplied, Austin is oversupplied. Time will tell especially as these large companies settle their operations here. 

WDYT about that @Neil Narayan?