Cost Seg Study Recommendations — 2 Homes in Charlottesville, VA + 2 in Greece

Tax, SDIRAs & Cost Segregation
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Cost Seg Study Recommendations — 2 Homes in Charlottesville, VA + 2 in Greece

Brett Cook
Rental Property Investor · Fort Worth, TX · Member since 2022 · 17 posts · 7 votes

Hello BP fam,

My wife and I have an LLC with four rentals — two mid-term furnished homes in Charlottesville, VA and two units in Chania, Greece.

She qualifies for REPS, and we’re looking to do a cost segregation study on the U.S. properties (and maybe figure out what’s possible with the Greece ones).

Anyone have good experiences or solid value recs for a cost segregation company that works with smaller residential portfolios? I’ve seen names like ETS, KBKG, and CSSI, but would love some firsthand feedback. Appreciate any advice.

 Happy to share what we learn for others investing overseas!

— Brett

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  • Kerry BairdPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2011 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    11mo

    I used DIY cost seg and was happy with the results.

    Chania? Hubby was stationed there for a year, and it is a lovely location.  Are ya'll doing long term rentals there? 

    0Reply
    • Brett Cook
      OP
      Rental Property Investor · Fort Worth, TX · Member since 2022 · 17 posts · 7 votes
      11mo

      Thank you @Kerry Baird. I was stationed in Chania as well and my wife is from there. It is a beautiful city. We have one long term rental and one short term rental. 

      1Reply
  • Kate Nixon Taylor
    Lender · Cary, NC · Member since 2021 · 122 posts · 29 votes
    11mo

    Hi Brett, 

    Talk to Yonah Weiss at Madison SPECS! He's great at what he does and has great rates for his services. Follow him on LinkedIn and you can reach out to him there.

    If you need anything on the finance side of things, I am happy to connect and help. I am with The One Brokerage and have access to hundreds of lenders. 

    Cheers, Kate

    0Reply
    • Brett Cook
      OP
      Rental Property Investor · Fort Worth, TX · Member since 2022 · 17 posts · 7 votes
      11mo

      @Kate Nixon Taylor -Thank you. I'll reach out to Yonah. Do you have lenders that support foreign property investments?

      1Reply
    • Kate Nixon Taylor
      Lender · Cary, NC · Member since 2021 · 122 posts · 29 votes
      11mo
      Quote from @Brett Cook:

      @Kate Nixon Taylor -Thank you. I'll reach out to Yonah. Do you have lenders that support foreign property investments?


      You're welcome Brett. We can only finance property in the States. We have some lender partners we refer to for Mexico, Spain, Puerto Rico, and Portugal.

      0Reply
  • Rohullah Sharifi
    Dr · VA · Member since 2025 · 154 posts · 34 votes
    11mo

    A cost segregation study can be a valuable tax strategy when the taxpayer is in a high tax bracket, actively engaged in the real estate business, or qualifies as a real estate professional under IRS rules. It can also provide significant benefits for short-term rental owners who materially participate in their rental activity, as these taxpayers may be able to offset ordinary income with accelerated depreciation deductions.

    However, high-income earners who do not meet the active participation or real estate professional requirements are generally unable to fully benefit from cost segregation due to the passive activity loss limitations under Internal Revenue Code 469.

    It is important to note that cost segregation is not “free money.” When the property is sold, the accelerated depreciation claimed through the study is subject to depreciation recapture, which can increase taxable gain and effectively reduce the property’s adjusted basis. Therefore, the timing of the cost segregation study should be carefully evaluated in light of the taxpayer’s current income level, anticipated holding period, and long-term investment strategy.

    0Reply
    • Brett Cook
      OP
      Rental Property Investor · Fort Worth, TX · Member since 2022 · 17 posts · 7 votes
      11mo

      @Rohullah Sharifi - Thank you for the summary of cost segregation considerations. I agree, this is a nuanced area that should be managed by seasoned professionals, which is why I am reaching out to the BP community for specialist recommendations. 

      0Reply
  • Sean O'KeefePro Member
    CPA | Accepting new clients | 50 States · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 870 votes
    11mo
    Quote from @Brett Cook:

    Hello BP fam,

    My wife and I have an LLC with four rentals — two mid-term furnished homes in Charlottesville, VA and two units in Chania, Greece.

    She qualifies for REPS, and we’re looking to do a cost segregation study on the U.S. properties (and maybe figure out what’s possible with the Greece ones).

    Anyone have good experiences or solid value recs for a cost segregation company that works with smaller residential portfolios? I’ve seen names like ETS, KBKG, and CSSI, but would love some firsthand feedback. Appreciate any advice.

     Happy to share what we learn for others investing overseas!

    — Brett

    I'd recommend this thread https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/51/topics/1258422-cost-...

    It has a lot of great info on what cost seg type to use (e.g. self-service, virtual, onsite) and some suggestions on which firms to consider. 
    [email protected]628-241-0888
    0Reply
  • Jason MalabuteBusiness Member
    Accountant · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 900 votes
    11mo

    All three of the companies you mentioned — ETS, KBKG, and CSSI — are pretty well-known in the cost seg space. It sounds like you’d definitely benefit from doing a study since your wife qualifies as a real estate professional. I’d just recommend finding someone who’s actually worked with one of those firms before so you can get a feel for their experience, pricing, and how thorough their reports were.

    Malabute & Company CPAs525 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
  • Ashish AcharyaBusiness Member
    CPA, CFP®, PFS · FL · Member since 2017 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    11mo

    Love what you and your wife are building! REPS and an international portfolio is a powerful combo!

    When it comes to cost seg, you’ve got a few solid options. Some investors prefer a local company because they can physically visit the property and really understand the build. Others go with a reputable remote firm, which can sometimes be more cost-friendly and still deliver high-quality engineering studies. Both can work great, what matters most is the quality of the report and how it’s applied on your tax return.

    If you have a CPA who specializes in real estate, definitely loop them in. They’ll usually have trusted companies they work with often, and they’ll make sure the deductions get applied correctly, that’s where the real savings show up.

    We’ve had clients work with CostSegRx, Madison SPECS, and CSSI and have good experiences across the board. The key is choosing a team that understands smaller residential portfolios and can support you if the IRS ever asks questions later.

    Best of luck with the studies — and seriously cool that you’re investing in Greece, I just visited there this summer and loved it. If you want, I’m happy to connect.

    [email protected]941-914-7779
    INVESTOR FRIENDLY CPA®5241 Reviews
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    TaxMD™ | AI-Powered Tax Planning
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  • Aaron ZimmermanBusiness Member
    Accountant · Chicago, IL · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    11mo

    I've had clients work with Madison specs, cssi, and kbkg. I've had good experiences with all of them. 

    your experience with these cost seg companies depends on the person you deal with at these companies. 

    [email protected]
    Brick House CPAs53 Reviews
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    0Reply
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