Collections are where the game is won or lost, and without proactive management, even the prettiest property can bleed money. 

We have a software called EZCare which our cleaners will take post clean pics and it generates a report. 

I currently use rentredi and am disappointed in it, I want to switch to STRESSA but find they collect rents into their bank account.Has anyone used RENTREDI accounting software, they want $100.00 per month which i find exesssive.

They used that period of unemployment to skip paying student loans and then try to get some kind of program/hardship deferral or something aka "gaming the system".

It’s s about knowing how to position yourself in markets where demand remains resilient, even when global STR margins are tightening.So yes, I completely agree that the game has changed, but for those willing to tackle the hard stuff in overlooked international markets with large American populations, the opportunity to combine cash flow with long-term appreciation is very much alive.

Hopefully, based on actual field measurements, past project data, and estimating software, your contractor can develop a detailed estimate that lays out the cost of labor and all materials for each phase of the project.

Somehow I think it's better to hold onto my own money and keep that dry powder on the sidelines waiting to get into the game if there are some emergency expenditures (haha, very likely with the kinds of deals I'm thinking about in class C neighborhoods).

Focus on what the rents will look like post-renovation with 4 units instead of 2, and have a clear game plan for refinancing to pull your capital back out. 

This decision often comes down to a simple numbers game.

It's definitely easier to find a cash flowing property in Midwest but I am of the opinion that cashflow in real estate keeps you in the game but appreciation is where you build wealth.