Letting Go for Your Bottom Line: A Lesson for Real Estate InvestorsHey BiggerPockets Community,If you’re a real estate investor, whether you own rental properties, flip houses, or manage syndications, there’s a critical lesson that could boost your bottom line: Letting Go.Many of us get into real estate because we want control over our financial future.

Landscaping, Snow Removal, Pest Control to name a few.Hope this helps!

Indirect Expenses✅ Direct Expenses (Easy to Bill Back): Utilities, repairs, maintenance, vendor services (pest control, lawn care, etc.).✅ Indirect Expenses (Office Overhead, Admin, & Labor): Harder to allocate, but common methods include:2) Common Billing Methods🔹 % of Gross Rents – Many PMs charge 3-5% for admin overhead.🔹 Per-Unit Fee – Flat $10-$20 per unit/month for shared costs.🔹 Time Tracking – Track staff hours and bill properties proportionally.🔹 Software Tools – AppFolio, Buildium, Rent Manager allow bulk allocations.3) Best Practices✔ Use a Spreadsheet or Software – Track expenses by property before invoicing owners.✔ Be Transparent – Define billable vs. included costs in your PM agreement.✔ Avoid Surprises – Owners expect clarity on additional charges.

.✅ Master Lease Option (MLO): Take control of the asset with an option to buy after stabilizing revenue—especially useful if the property is underperforming.✅ Equity Earn-In: Offer the seller a minority stake (e.g., 10-20% ownership) instead of cash up front.2.

Breaking news: events in and out of our control will affect real estate both positively and negatively.

The exception being condos where the common heat was not in our control. 

It sounds like you’ve got a solid foundation with your rental property, and I love the ambition behind your plans to build a property management and maintenance company—it’s a great way to take control of your investments while creating additional opportunities.Best of luck to you! 

With 30% vacancy in the area, filling space could be a challenge.NNN leases are great for minimizing expenses, but how much control do you actually have?

Something is missing...if there isn't a Board and the HOA (or I assume more likely a COA) is newly formed then why isn't the developer still in control of the HOA?

It also depends upon the CCRs themselves — they can control as to priority — and the date of the assessments in question versus the date of the lien being foreclosed.Way too many variables for an accurate answer across multiple jurisdictions.