🏠 Closing on My First Triplex in Greenville, SC — What Do You Wish You Knew Before Y

[Eli Gosnell]

🏠 Closing on My First Triplex in Greenville, SC — What Do You Wish You Knew Before Your First Deal?

Hey everyone!

I’m closing in a couple weeks on my first property — a triplex in Greenville, SC.
Plan: House hack + long-term hold. I’ll live in one unit and rent the other two for the first year.

The property’s older, so I’ll be doing:

• Cosmetic upgrades (paint, flooring, fixtures)

• Replacing one HVAC and a couple gas furnaces

I know there’s always stuff you only learn by doing.

For those who’ve been through this:
👉 What’s one thing you wish you knew before buying your first investment property?
👉 Any tips for managing tenants early on?
👉 What systems (accounting, maintenance, rent collection) saved you headaches later?

Would love to hear your best “learned it the hard way” advice.
Thanks in advance — I’m excited to get started and want to do this the right way!

— Eli

[Elealeh Fulmaran]

Congrats, Eli. Nail the basics fast: verify zoning and house-hack rules, lock solid leases for the two rentals, and set written screening criteria before showings. Prioritize safety and systems first, then do clean, durable cosmetics; paint everything one neutral color for speed. Set up simple ops now: an accounting spreadsheet or software, online rent pay, a single maintenance request link, and a monthly walk‑through checklist. Communicate like a pro: one channel, templated messages, and documented promises. Last tip: keep a CapEx reserve and schedule biannual HVAC tune‑ups so small issues don't become big ones.