Newbie to BiggerPockets

Investor · York, PA · Member since 2026 · 11 posts · 7 votes

Greetings,

I am new to BiggerPockets, but have done some real estate investing years ago in CA. A LOT has happened since, and now find myself in a position where our tax person encourages us to consider real estate. I recently started a handyman business and plan to use it to rehab properties in my local area, but am very open to identify out-of-state properties. We (Wife and I) are looking forward to networking with others on this site.

Thanks in advance for all the support.

Rick Springer

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Arman AhmedPro Member

Real Estate Agent · Columbus Cleveland Dayton, OH · Member since 2024 · 2k+ posts · 961 votes

1mo

Quote from @Rick Springer:

Greetings,

Thanks in advance for all the support.

Rick Springer

Welcome back to real estate, Rick! Having your own handyman business is a huge advantage, especially if you decide to look outside PA. I’d definitely keep the Midwest on your radar, where you can find solid cash flow and value while still leveraging your rehab experience. Good luck getting back into the game!

[email protected]614-418-6081

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Arman AhmedPro Member
Real Estate Agent · Columbus Cleveland Dayton, OH · Member since 2024 · 2k+ posts · 961 votes
1mo
Quote from @Rick Springer:
Greetings,

I am new to BiggerPockets, but have done some real estate investing years ago in CA. A LOT has happened since, and now find myself in a position where our tax person encourages us to consider real estate. I recently started a handyman business and plan to use it to rehab properties in my local area, but am very open to identify out-of-state properties. We (Wife and I) are looking forward to networking with others on this site.

Thanks in advance for all the support.

Rick Springer
Welcome back to real estate, Rick! Having your own handyman business is a huge advantage, especially if you decide to look outside PA. I’d definitely keep the Midwest on your radar, where you can find solid cash flow and value while still leveraging your rehab experience. Good luck getting back into the game!
[email protected]614-418-6081
2 Reply
Matt Hiltner
Lender · Denver, CO · Member since 2021 · 41 posts · 11 votes
1mo
@Rick Springer Welcome, Rick — and welcome to your wife too. Restarting after time away, especially with a tax advisor pushing you toward real estate, is actually a great position to be in: you're coming back with capital and a real financial motivation, not just curiosity.
The handyman business + local rehabs combo is smart. You'll have eyes on deal flow other buyers won't see, and you'll know true rehab costs cold instead of guessing off a contractor's estimate — that alone prevents a lot of first-deal mistakes. A few things worth thinking through as you get going:
Local rehabs (your home turf advantage):
- Since you're doing the work yourself, be honest about your bandwidth — a lot of handyman-investors underestimate how much time a full rehab plus running the business simultaneously actually eats. Even one deal at a time is fine to start.
- Line up your financing approach before you're under contract on a deal. Hard money/private lending is common for rehab-heavy purchases since it's collateral- and project-based, not just income-based like conventional — worth understanding the mechanics now so you can move fast when you find something.
Out-of-state:
- If you go this route, treat "market selection" as its own project separate from "deal selection." You want a market with a real reason for it (landlord-friendly laws, population/job growth, price-to-rent ratios that work), then build a local team (agent, property manager, contractor) there before you start looking at listings — not after.
- Out-of-state gets a lot easier once you're not also the boots-on-the-ground labor, so it may make more sense as a phase two once the local rehab side is proven out.
Since your tax person nudged you into this, it's also worth a quick conversation with them (or a CPA who specializes in real estate) about entity structure and whether a cost segregation study makes sense down the line — timing that early saves headaches later.
I've been investing for 20 years myself, and spend a lot of time now on the financing/lending side of deals — so I tend to look at questions like yours through an investor's lens first, financing second, rather than just "can you qualify." Happy to be a sounding board if financing questions come up as you two get moving — no agenda, just glad to help.
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Ashish AcharyaBusiness Member
CPA, CFP®, PFS · FL · Member since 2017 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
1mo
Rick, your handyman business could actually pair really well with real estate investing because you already have a practical eye for repair scope, rehab costs, and what work truly adds value.

The biggest thing I’d do is keep the active handyman/rehab business separate from any long-term rental ownership you build. If you’re doing paid repair work or flips, that’s active business income. If the handyman business becomes consistently profitable, an S-Corp may be worth evaluating depending on the income level, payroll, and reasonable-compensation requirements.

For properties you keep as rentals, I’d generally hold and account for those separately. The tax treatment is different, and that’s where depreciation, cost segregation, and potentially partial-disposition planning can become valuable.

Your rehab background can also help on the tax side if you keep detailed records by component. Flooring, HVAC, roofing, cabinetry, plumbing, electrical, and other improvements shouldn’t all get buried in one generic “rehab” number. That detail can matter later for depreciation and partial dispositions.

You’ve already got a useful skill set, the next step is really building the entity, bookkeeping, and tax structure around it before the portfolio grows.

Feel free to DM me, I’d be happy to send over a few resources that might help as you get back into real estate.
[email protected]941-914-7779
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Hayden GrayPro Member
Lender · Colorado / New Mexico · Member since 2024 · 31 posts · 9 votes
1mo
Welcome to Bigger Pockets, Rick! Are you looking to do primarily fix and flips?
[email protected]505-482-0999
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Brad SeidBusiness Member
Lender · Licensed in 28 States · Member since 2026 · 182 posts · 58 votes
1mo
@Rick Springer Welcome to BiggerPockets, Rick! Sounds like you’ve got some exciting plans with the handyman business and real estate. If you ever need help exploring financing options for a rehab or investment property, feel free to reach out. Happy to connect and help! 👍
[email protected]248-408-3855
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Diana KhanPro Member
Attorney · 10451 Mill Run Cir #755 Owings Mills, MD 21117 · Member since 2024 · 610 posts · 207 votes
2w
Quote from @Rick Springer:
Greetings,

I am new to BiggerPockets, but have done some real estate investing years ago in CA. A LOT has happened since, and now find myself in a position where our tax person encourages us to consider real estate. I recently started a handyman business and plan to use it to rehab properties in my local area, but am very open to identify out-of-state properties. We (Wife and I) are looking forward to networking with others on this site.

Thanks in advance for all the support.

Rick Springer
@Rick Springer, I actually like the idea of using the handyman business alongside your return to real estate. You’ll have a much better feel for what a property really needs than someone who is completely dependent on estimates from other people. The one thing I’d think through early is how you want the handyman business and your real estate investments to work together legally, especially if the business will be doing work on properties you own.
I’ve worked with investors and business owners where different parts of their businesses started overlapping as they grew. That’s when questions about ownership, contracts, insurance, and which company is responsible for what can become important. It’s much easier to get those pieces organized while the portfolio is still small than to untangle everything later.
Welcome back to real estate, @Rick Springer. I’m a real estate and business attorney, broker, and investor in Maryland, so I see both the business and property sides of situations like this. I’d be happy to stay connected and see where you and your wife take it.
[email protected]240-266-0291
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