Balancing the cash flow and the financing puzzle can be a tricky dance, but the more we share these experiences, the better we can navigate the twists and turns of real estate ventures.

Residential: Turned 3 units with tenants moving out at lease expiration and increasing rent to market ($2,850/month).

It's organized good, I do inspections, but my fear is the side hustle turns into hoarding.

The tables have turned.

Consider selling the duplex to put it into a higher income producing asset (out of state, DST, something).

that doesn't mean RE isn't a good investment... but it is the case.what i would NOT recommend is buying a random, "cheap' property in a market thousands of miles away that you don't know well and haven't seen in person, and turning it over to a team you don't know. 

Are there any tips, tricks, or guides for turning on utilities after close of escrow and possession?

And what is your price point and are you looking for turn-key properties or something along the lines of a "fixer upper"?

Simply deducting prorated rent from the deposit is simple and clean and hard for them to argue since they communicated this schedule to you and that the property wouldn't be ready to turn over to you until the cleaners were complete.

Maybe it was a hidden issue that turned into a big project, or a small upgrade that made all the difference.