When evaluating long-term real estate opportunities, keep in mind the four key pillars of investing:Appreciation – Focus on how your property’s value grows over time.Cash Flow – Assess your rental income after accounting for all expenses.Tax Benefits – Leverage deductions like depreciation to reduce your tax burden.Debt Pay Down – Use rental income to pay down your mortgage, steadily building equity.Think of it like investing in a 401(k) with a long-term perspective—especially in California, where property values can appreciate significantly over time.

I made my choice, just giving a perspective for someone whose been around. 

I would be most interested in talking about peoples experience and perspectives on this subject

So, a few credit cards at the parent entity level works better depending how much you plan to scale but this requires more work on the bookkeeping side.Just ensure you keep things as simple as possible and always think about things from an operational perspective as you grow.

Louis, so just seeing if anyone could give me a local investor's perspective on the area? 

I prefer a single basin from a maintenance perspective and typically always use this in rentals.  

.: What is the best way to hold investment property from an estate planning perspective and to be passed down to heirs? 

My perspective is forever changed. 

From a time value of money perspective, I can see this as being valuable, but overall it does seem to be closer to a wash.I am more interested in the LLC, so I can write off expenses.

Whether you're just getting your footing or already seasoned in real estate, I'd love to hear your journey—what sparked your passion, the lessons learned along the way, and how your perspective on investing has evolved.