Ask the people in Florida who now have sky high insurance and mandatory unplanned assessments, how much value having a paid off property is. 

The rental market is already showing signs of recovery:Spring Is Coming: Historically, the rental market picks up momentum in the spring as tenants prepare to move during warmer months or ahead of the school year.Early 2025 Trends Are Positive: In just the first week of January, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in rental applications, suggesting pent-up demand from renters who delayed their searches in November and December.What Landlords Can Do NowTo make the most of this recovery, consider:Refreshing Your Listings: Update your photos, descriptions, and pricing to ensure your properties stand out.Offering Incentives: Temporary discounts or move-in bonuses can help fill vacancies quickly.Being Patient: The market is already bouncing back, so don’t panic if your property takes a bit longer to lease than usual.What’s been your experience?

Not sure about FL, but many places don't publicly list the purchase amounts, so tough to know what they sold for. 

We bought our first rental property, a duplex in Portsmouth, VA, in what we assessed was a C neighborhood in March 2023.

Given it's location not far from the ports of Richmond and Oakland, and that the Chevron oil refinery is nearby as well, some of that is likely be driving the highest and best use assessment. chris in the deep south they turn the anchor store into a big church..  

A reserve is unnecessary, but I still keep around $15,000 - $20,000 in my account.The point is, that you should sit down and assess your finances to determine what the worst-case scenario may look like, how much you would need to cover it without impacting your life, and whether you will need to build a reserve.

Novice investor here. Would anyone have a good fix and flip spreadsheet they could point me to?

Quote from @Devin James: Quote from @Dominic Mazzarella: Quote from @Devin James: Everything went wrong with this investment:   - Took 4 months longer than expected   - Cost $10K more to build than we anticipated   - Sold for $20K less than we anticipatedWe still profited with a 30% return on equityThis is why I love Real Estate InvestingWhen you do your diligence and stay conservative with your numbers, it takes something really bad to lose money.Here was the original post:My siblings and I are building a home in North Port, FL.Here are the numbers: - Finished Home Value: $412Kish - Land Cost: $19,750.39 - Construction & Permitting Costs: $304,897Additional costs: - Environmental Site Assessment - General Liability Insurance - Builders Risk Insurance - Construction FinancingWe will be listing the home this weekPhotos coming soon!! 

Post insolvency, the framework allows an assessment to all private insurers operating in the state to cover the difference which will subsequently pass the costs along to policy holders.

Not sure if you can file a complaint and ask for this to be re-assessed.