17 November 2025 | 3 replies
As in all things in life (like choosing a spouse)for instance, it's incumbent upon us to examine our individual personalities regarding whether a proposed partnership would be a good fit or a disaster in waiting.In 2007, when I lost more than $130,000 in the stock market,I learnt a permanent lesson that stuck with me till today.I discovered that I was a control freak.I needed to always know how my actions directly related to my results, and most often like to retain the ability to change my mind even if others would find such reversal a stupid idea.Seeing how much control I didn't have on how my stocks performed in 2008 despite all the information I had consumed for several months regarding value investing and how to analyze a company's fundamentals scarred me for life.It made a real estate investor out of me.The safety and assurance that I was taking sole responsibility for the calls i made and the risks I decided to take was a calming refuge.Having been a Pro-member on BiggerPockets for as long as I've been has its perks.It gives one a front row seat to see in slow motion the interesting evolution of the component parts that make up this mammoth industry.I watched in amusement as one member arrived as a total newbie in 2018 with a welcome post, voraciously consuming unsolicited counsel on the member forums for a few months and then posted a "success story" of his deals after 6 months.Within a year, he had his own podcast and is now buying large apartments as a syndicator pooling investors' money.To be clear, this is not a hate post.I certainly do not begrudge people "crushing it" in record time.Nonetheless, as a 'senior' member of this community who has seen this movie before,I do feel a lonely cautionary voice in the wilderness is needed at this point.We are in an environment of unprecedented cap rate compression and record low interest rates which is only headed in one direction after this is all over.Yes, make no mistake, the music will soon stop.That has very little to do with an upcoming election and is regardless of who wins the White House or who controls congress after November.If you've listened to Kevin Bupp and Rod Khleif, you know what happened to their portfolios in 2008.These were no amateurs, as a matter of fact, they had many years of investment experience when the music stopped.They both weathered the storm and came back stronger and that is why I remain a shameless fan of both men till today.Several others were not that lucky, and you will never hear their names.In this space today, there are investors and there are educators.The educators have taken over the habitat.That is why there are now more podcasts on real estate than I can get through in a working week.Real Estate education is so very lucrative now that it is possible to make way more money from podcasts and books than in actual real estate investment for some gifted marketers with smooth tongues and gifted content creators.We are in the information age after all, and youtube millionaires are now perhaps outpacing patient real estate buy and hold landlords in the passive income/ cash flow game.Belonging to a $25,000/year mastermind and attending a syndication bootcamp does not insulate anyone from catastrophe.
24 October 2025 | 8 replies
You can take bonus depreciation on any property that has assets that qualify.So to answer your question, yes, you can take bonus depreciation on components of a house that is used as a MTR.However, what you may want to determine from a conversation with an accountant is whether the activity will be treated as active or passive.The next question would be, even if you can do a cost segregation study, would the added depreciation from bonus depreciation be beneficial.
29 October 2025 | 11 replies
Quote from @Ian Hutton: Hey everyone, My question is what are the key components you look for when doing market research?
19 November 2025 | 11 replies
Good plan to start in Baltimore with boots on the ground—keep it simple and systemize: pick a tight buy box, then run a “Noise-to-Numbers” scan on volume (agent MLS pulls, 2–3 wholesalers, and one direct-to-seller list), comp only within close radius and similar beds/baths/condition, and budget rehab with two contractor walks plus a contingency; start with light cosmetic flips to test your GC and processes before tackling heavy value-add.
27 October 2025 | 3 replies
What are some important components I should consider?
14 November 2025 | 14 replies
This means everything—from the building components (as allocated by a cost segregation study) to the new furniture—must be installed, fully operational, and ready for guests to use before the end of the calendar year to claim the full deduction on the tax return filed in 2026 for the 2025 tax year.To be fully balanced, you should also research "Depreciation Recapture" when you sell.
19 November 2025 | 16 replies
A study breaks your property down into components (e.g., flooring, appliances, electrical, landscaping, etc.) and reclassifies certain portions from 27.5-year property to 5-, 7-, or 15-year property.
7 November 2025 | 38 replies
(Cost segregation identifies components with shorter lives—e.g., cabinets, appliances—allowing faster write-offs.
29 October 2025 | 10 replies
There is a comp on the block at $4,500 per BP rent estimator but it is larger with 4 bed and 3.5 bath.
28 October 2025 | 12 replies
The STR tax strategy has 2 main components:1) The average stay per guest is 7 days or less for the tax year.AND2) You materially participate in your STR.