I have tried both, I think it depends on the market you are targeting and the type of leads.

I’ve been working with real estate financials for a while, and I keep seeing one mistake that costs investors thousands: poor bookkeeping leading to missed tax deductions.🚨 Common issues I see:❌ Not properly tracking repairs vs. capital improvements❌ Missing out on cost segregation & depreciation write-offs❌ Scrambling at tax time instead of planning proactivelyI’d love to hear from the group—what’s been your biggest tax headache as an investor?

It’s definitely smart to evaluate the tax and cost implications of your funding options.

-Depending on your gain above, you could get a partial 121 exclusion and a 1031 on the townhouse.

I am about to graduate college in May 2025, and will be making about $120k (pre tax) in my full time job postgrad (Washington DC area).

Find a good lender, get pre approved, make sure you practice running the #'s using the 100's of videos and guides from BP, find an investor friendly Realtor, and then start making offers on any property that meets your goal.

You can pre-screen them for free, then run the credit/criminal background only for those that pass your initial review so you're not wasting time.

Quote from @Jordan Hamilton:  Looking for assistance how to actual structure my taxes.

Cash invested: $60 Sale price: $365,000 Sub-to deal with homeowner pre-foreclosure How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?

Whether you need a CPA with just three rentals depends on the complexity of your situation and your comfort level with DIY tax prep.If things are pretty straightforward, you might be fine with tax software for now.