Looking for referrals to help me form my LLCs', and a good CPA

[Virginia Stees]

I just got through a 3 day real estate investing class, and my eyes have been opened! I am looking into creating a land trust, an LLC for my soon to be rental home (s), and forming a property management company to manage them all. Is there anyone in the area that can refer me to some honest, knowledgeable and well priced firms that can help me do this right the first time?

[Henry Clark]

Look at your local Real estate listings and call the largest one.   Ask them for both recommendations. 

[Charles Carillo]

@Virginia Stees

You want to find a CPA as you mentioned but, you also want to find a real estate attorney. You want to speak to both of them before you do anything. Explain to both of them your goals and see what they suggest and then speak to the other one. A good CPA or real estate attorney will suggest you speak to the other beforehand as well. Seek out local real estate groups in your area and request referrals from local investors. I find this to be one of the best ways of finding new team members.

[Will Fraser]

Howdy @Virginia Stees!

My two cents from a bit down the road is this:

- Let the horse guide the cart, the dog wag the tail, and any other relevant aphorism . . . . The concept of setting up your management company and building this empire you're envisioning is AWESOME and you may well be there someday . . . a year from now or thirty.  That's awesome!  

However . . . prove it.  To yourself and to the stakeholders and vendors in your life.  Many are the ambitions of people and FEW are they who come to fulfill them.  instead of starting with a grand master plan to build a company in a specific way, I'd recommend running hard for some time in a niche that you believe is an overlap between your head, heart, and hands.  If your wrong you'll sense that in the feedback loop of joy, energy, etc in the midst of doing the work.  Then you can pivot into a different niche and test your theory.  OR if you love it, double down, then double down again, and again until you've built a bridge or garnered enough momentum that whatever horizontal expansion you do is likely to succeed.

Hire a competent and shrewd manager for your early rentals and watch their systems from the inside.  Learn from the standpoint of a client and if you decide to build a management company around your properties you'll have a well rounded exposure and an understanding of what they did well.  Mimick that, improve on it, and build the thang!  

OR you may find that your niche X fuels you and the energy and vision it takes to run the management side would be a mismanagement of your resources, and your PM adds value to your niche and you love the synergy you have there.

Could be either one, and I find that far too many people start down the former road without ever giving thought to the latter.

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Virginia Stees:

I just got through a 3 day real estate investing class, and my eyes have been opened! I am looking into creating a land trust, an LLC for my soon to be rental home (s), and forming a property management company to manage them all. Is there anyone in the area that can refer me to some honest, knowledgeable and well priced firms that can help me do this right the first time?

I hate to rain on your parade, but someone is confusing you. You don't need a management company to manage your own rentals. You don't need an LLC or a land trust to hold property. You are going to spend a lot of time and energy on unnecessary crap to look like a bit-time investor when you haven't even purchased your first property yet.

Get five properties under your belt. Prove that you know how to manage them and deal with difficulties like applicants that lie or use fake documents, tenants that don't pay rent, unauthorized pets and tenants, people that refuse to move out, etc. You need a good management agreement. You need to know it inside/out and how to enforce it. You need to know the law. You need the fortitude to deal with difficult people and situations. You need...so much more than an LLC and business cards.

[Virginia Stees]

Hi I already have a a couple properties and I am looking  to have them protected.  but thanks for the advise

[Drew Sygit]

Make sure you have an attorney do it NOT a CPA.

Are you sure you want a property management company and not a holding company?