Knowledge is power:Thorough Inspections: Minimize surprises with detailed inspections and due diligence.Strong Screening: Careful tenant selection reduces vacancy and headaches.Diversification: Spread your investments across different locations and property types to mitigate risk.Financial Planning: Maintain a buffer and choose financing options that fit your long-term goals.

I now live back in CA, and my portfolio runs fully managed, but getting there took a lot of legwork upfront.A few things that stood out from your post:•If you’re focused on appreciation over cash flow, you’ll want to be highly selective in Detroit.

@Greg StrunakA good real estate accountant can save you thousands of dollars by leveraging entity selection and formation, tax deductions, cost segregations, bonus depreciation and tax planning.I recommend finding an accountant who specializes in real estate taxation, business taxation, financial planning and tax planning.You may want to consider working with your accountant remotely to expand your options.I would also recommend looking for a accountant willing to work with you throughout the year.

Does it make selecting games easier?  

To avoid going through the same poor experience, keep reading.Even if someone gives you a referral here, do NOT make the mistake of assuming that the PMC will meet your expectations, just because they met the expectations of the referral source.In our experience, the #1 mistake owners make when selecting a Property Management Company (PMC) is ASSUMING instead of CONFIRMING.It's often a case of not doing enough research, as they don't know what they don't know!

I won’t abandon the strategy yet, but I’m not convinced the coaching will provide value as Tardus is not selecting the investments for me and I’m still spending all my time with due diligence. 

The good news is that there are plenty of great CPAs out there including on these forums.We did have a conversation with him, which is why we selected him in the first place.

I became a select mentee of theirs about two months ago. 

Pick one and tell me why you selected buyer or seller!

Same as you'd screen anyone else with very close attention paid to which parents you select to guarantee the lease.Are there any specific clauses I should include in a room-by-room lease for a shared living space?