I did not read the rules around security deposits. you may be allowed to use those funds and still file a small claims action for any remainder, but I can't imagine that it would be worth it if you have at least one month's rent in security deposit. 

None of that is free, but probably well worth $30-$50/month or whatever they charge. 

I did not want to incur the cost but I figured...that maybe....just maybe....sometime in the near future us ADU home owners may be able to rent both units....like a duplex.At that point it will be worth it to let the tenets be responsible for their own bills.Not saying that other ways are bad...they are actually very cost effective if you are living there...but what about as you scale your business and move onto other properties.This of course if your city will allow you to rent both units...the city I am in is tough but things can change as more pressure is being put on affordable housing.Once again...not saying any way is right or wrong...I just did it this way for the reason I just mentioned.Thank you....

If you're not careful, the administrative requirements can trip you up—but when done right, the savings can be well worth the effort.For those of us scaling our portfolios or actively managing real estate deals, the conversation about structure isn’t just theoretical—it directly impacts how we protect our wealth and position ourselves for long-term growth.What I’ve found is that many investors don’t realize how critical their personal credit is in setting up these entities successfully and accessing the funding they need to operate and grow.

I know, there are plenty of red flags there, but I do believe it is worth the risk when I consider how happy it makes my wife, how life-changing it will be for the family, how minor the financial impact will be on me, and how it gives me the opportunity to practice the steps of real estate investing with forgiving tenants.Finally, I am going to attempt to self manage as nothing comes close to cash-flowing if you include PM costs.

My attorney told me there's some question whether contracts are actually copyrightable, but it doesn't seem worth it to test it.

Were there any unexpected hurdles during the rehab or resale process?

I mean, a filed lawsuit arguing to pierce a particular LLC is only worth the paper (of course most jurisdictions don't even allow paper filing of civil actions anymore) it's printed on.

The 3rd thing that has reshaped my entire opinion of the tax advantages of real estate, is seeing my 88 grandfather holding five quite valuable illiquid properties, long story short it’s a mess, it’s causing family drama, he is in zero shape physically or mentally to manage them, the all have cap-ex needs, again these were amazing buy’s literally multiple properties he bought for under 50k that are now worth over a million but there is probably a time and a place for owning real estate, so I don’t really have a need to own more than maybe a few properties into retirement.

I know this may not seem possible, and probably not the answer you were looking for, but it would be worth partnering with another active investor, bringing in a passive investor(s), or even waiting until you have enough capital to deploy into the right deal.