that we’ve learned in our 24 years, managing almost 700 doors across the Metro Detroit area, including almost 100 S8 leases:Class A Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, 3-5 years for positive cashflow, but you get highest relative rent & value appreciation.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, 5% the more recent norm.Tenant Pool: Majority will have FICO scores of 680+ (roughly 5% probability of default), zero evictions in last 7 years.Class B Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, decent amount of relative rent & value appreciation.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, 5% should be applied only if proper research done to support.Tenant Pool: Majority will have FICO scores of 620-680 (around 10% probability of default), some blemishes, but should have no evictions in last 5 yearsClass C Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, high cashflow and at the lower end of relative rent & value appreciation.

., late Spring to early Summer 2023, we lost our Chief Financial Officer, another accountant passed away, another had a major heart attack, and our Controller son passed away and we provided an extended leave. 

This is for 3 properties I use spreadsheets, that I also provide to my clients if they don’t have a good accounting system. it can be a lot of work with making sure you have all the receipts, issuing 1099s, ensuring you have deductions, etc. as such, I recommend doing bookkeeping monthly. what’s funny is that as a tax preparer and advisor, the majority of the time isn’t spent entering numbers on a return.

One of my most profitable STRs ventures is not in a vacation market but it is a unique experience that is within an hour of a major metro hub.

Experienced managers can help evaluate potential investments by providing insights on rental demand, market rents, tenant preferences, and location-specific factors that affect leasing success.For example, rental properties need to be close to conveniences like major roads, shopping, and schools.

Investing out of state as a rookie is a major mistake, like starting a land war in Asia.

.- It's very difficult to argue about travel being a business expense if you're just going to look at properties, I would argue against it in a majority of cases.- Depends on what you're doing specifically, but usually I'd recommend getting an EIN at least to give access to business bank accounts- Repeating #1, if you're going to a property and 100% of your time is spent doing renovations and the like, sure, but if any of it is for personal benefit, that'd be disallowed.

Even if you got the 130k valuation, between the HM loan and the refinance the lender just took the majority of the equity in form of lender fees, appraisal costs, and interest.

@Nick WimmelYou can get decent cash flow and demand for rentals is likely to stay strong in the area given the proximity to major job centers in Cincinnati and Dayton

Insurance cost for weather-related disasters is growing to a major concern in many of the southern markets.