@Robert Spiegel Great question, and it’s always a balancing act when dealing with long-term tenants who’ve been fantastic overall.Based on my experience managing over 1,200 rental homes in North Texas, including areas like Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, and Frisco, here’s how I would approach this:Cleaning Charge: While $540 may feel steep, it can vary depending on the size of the property and local market rates.

Proper underwriting - this includes an appraisal, loan app and full underwriting to comply with CFPB regulations.2.

That should really be the deciding factor...is it necessary and a large enough project to include the permit process?

There are clear winners in types of photos that should be included in your listing, along with examples of listings I believe achieve this.

You want an investment that pays for itself, including mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, and even some money set aside for a reserve to cover vacancies and capital expenditures.

We don't allow any "deal-making" in the forums, which includes advertising your services or properties, looking for partners, etc.

That way, there is some type of cushion to help against any high usage months, should they just happen to use more than your previous tenants did, or if you unfortunately get tenants who abuse the "utilities included" opportunity. 

Building a 4,000-square-foot, three-story duplex with a 1,000-square-foot ADU could cost about $1.83 million, including construction and permits (excluding land).

I own several in Alabama, including one in Bham.

As for holding a home and building another one - be sure to include carrying costs of the first home while building the second.