Florida Real Estate CPA - Where to find a good one?

Question

I will be purchasing a Single Family home this summer with the intent to house hack (with college students). With all of the financial changes that will bring, I want to get started right and find myself a Real Estate-minded CPA.

How did everyone find theirs? What would be a good price to pay for a consultation, and what shady business practices should I watch out for?

Thanks!

Eamonn McElroy · Answer

@Samuel Oltman

Florida is a pretty big state. Without knowing exactly where you are it's hard to suggest someone.

Lance Lvovsky (can't link to his name for some reason) is in Florida, but if you're living in the panhandle he is not local to you.

Most CPA practices are familiar enough with Florida tax law to be able to handle any situation you may have.

"What would be a good price to pay for a consultation..."

It depends on how much of that tax professional's time you need, and the experience level of the tax professional involved. There's a reason some tax professionals charge $100/hour, and others charge $500/hour. You're paying for that professional's experience, knowledge level, communication timeliness, and ability to execute. It's not a commodity business.

The most important thing is to have the conversation to determine if their practice adds value to you, and if you're a good fit for their practice.

Steven Hamilton II · Answer

@Natalie Kolodij thanks for the tag. My office is near Tampa. I visit IRS offices all across the state of Florida including Maitland, Ocala, Miami, Ft Myers etc.

Natalie Kolodij · Answer

@Steven Hamilton II has an office in Florida. I'm not sure where his local is related to yours but I would start off by reaching out to him and seeing if it would be a good match.

Michael Plaks · Answer

@Samuel Oltman

"Shady business practices"? Hmm. Charging you to prepare a Florida state tax return would probably qualify, considering that there is no state income tax in Florida. :)

House hacking is pretty basic. The excellent tax pros mentioned on this thread probably are an overkill at this stage, but I can't speak for them.

Samuel Oltman · Answer

Thank you for the responses. I’m in the central Florida area, near Orlando and the college of UCF. Since I am just starting out and plan to house hack, I don’t think I require significant CPA experience at this stage of my investment career. As my portfolio grows over time I will be sure to speak with the best I can find. I know that the money is well spent on a CPA but I want to make sure I’m not paying for “overkill” if I can avoid it.

Florida Real Estate CPA - Where to find a good one?

Florida Real Estate CPA - Where to find a good one?

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