They've never navigated a period like we are in now and they haven't pivoted from their boom times playbook.If you manage to get your principal back you'll have to pay back the taxes you've deferred (depreciation recapture).

(I mean Special Financing Company)...Since REI Hame Changers has chosen to associate themselves with such a s***** business, I would never touch them with a 10-ft pole...On Monday , January 6, 2025, I am going to open up a huge can of whup *** on these people...First I will file fraud charges at my bank to stop any further payments .Then I will personally drive to Missouri if I have to to get my money back.They ( REI and special financing company)will then be charged for everything to do with that trip-Plus I will sue them for the substantial lost wages because I have to deal with this-!!

TurboTenant offers a maintenance program for $149 annually; they will respond to tenant issues, troubleshoot, assign to a pro, and charge your card on file (unless it's over your set amount, then they will call to confirm).

For me, that includes late fees, the cost of the eviction filing, etc.

I check the SEC, FINRA, ratings websites for inside information on the principals in the company.

Here is a link to a recent allocation from Harvard's endowment: https://finance.harvard.edu/files/fad/files/fy23_hmc_letter....These allocations can help point out asset classes that are getting overheated versus those that are relative values, since the asset classes that are getting over-heated will start to show themselves in outsized allocations within your portfolio.

Having said that, rents go up over time and as you mentioned tenants are paying down the mortgage (with more going to principal over time). 

@Jeff Love Here are the things that many CPAs support their clients with:Understanding tax impact of short-term vs. long-term vs. flip before you buyWhich entity structure is best for goals and investment property typeTax and compliance on LLC or S-CorpHow to transfer property out of personal name into LLC (hard to buy 1st through entity)Ways to optimize taxes throughout the yearHow best to set up accounting to track income and expenses (doing this late is a mess)Feedback on property management systems, accounting systems. systems, etcEstimated payments to avoid penaltiesKnowing when to file and getting things in on timeMaybe a few things I missed, but this is the high-level ….. if you can get answers to the above questions on your own, plan, and file your own taxes then you can avoid the expense of a CPA.

That includes going to the bank and getting a cashiers check.Pay them at the bank, get deed notarized there, then take it to Register of Deeds and file deed.I have done this a half dozen times to keep from missing out on a great deal.For what I'm paying any risk is negligible.  

Why Insurance is Not Enough Unfortunately, the landscape with guests and how often lawsuits are filed, has changed dramatically in the last 4-5 years and it's a risk no STR homeowner should take!