All Forum Posts by: Joe S.

Yes, you can often use your title company to manage the escrow for a seller-financed transaction, and in many cases, this is a good first step. Title companies frequently offer escrow services as part of their closing packages or as an ongoing service for seller-financed deals. It's worth asking your title company whether they provide loan servicing, which includes collecting monthly payments, issuing statements, holding funds in escrow for taxes and insurance, and managing payoffs.

That said, not all title companies are equipped or willing to provide long-term loan servicing, so if yours does not, you may want to consider a licensed loan servicing company or escrow servicing company that specializes in seller-financed notes. These companies are often more experienced with managing amortization schedules, late fees, 1098/1099 reporting, and even foreclosure procedures if necessary.

Some nationwide escrow or loan servicing companies to look into are Weststar Loan Servicing, Mountain West Financial, August REI, Escrow Specialists LLC, and Trust Title & Escrow Company (this one is based in Orlando).

Last year, I had a guest check in for a 5-week stay. Within hours, he messaged me complaining about a smoke smell. I acted fast—offered to send my cleaner with an ozone machine that same day. He declined. I still apologized and even asked the tenant in the next unit to stop smoking inside.

Then... radio silence.

Five weeks go by. No complaints. No issues. He checks out like normal. My cleaner goes in, all good.

Then the bomb drops.

I get an email from Airbnb—they canceled his reservation retroactively. Said he “didn’t stay due to smoke odor” and would be fully refunded. Not only that, but they were deducting the refund—over $3,000—from my future payouts.

I was stunned. Furious. The guy stayed the whole time! And now I was getting stiffed?

I tried calling Airbnb multiple times. Nothing. No explanation just the good old Airbnb runaround. 

So I did what every host should consider doing when they’re screwed over—I filed a small claims lawsuit.

Cost me $75.

Weeks go by. Then, right before our court date, Airbnb’s attorney calls me trying to settle for $500. I laughed. Not a chance.

We went back and forth and finally settled for $2,800. I got almost everything back.

Moral of the story: Don’t let Airbnb bully you. If you’ve been genuinely wronged, don’t be afraid to stand up and fight. Hosts need to know we do have rights—and sometimes it pays to push back.

Years ago, Warren Buffett made headlines saying buying a primary residence isn’t a good investment — and honestly, he had a point.

He wasn’t talking about rental properties or investment real estate. He was referring to your personal home. Something that feels like an asset, but for many, becomes a financial anchor — especially when they overstretch or treat it like a wealth-building vehicle.

Here’s why Buffett’s take resonates:

• A primary home generates no income.

• You pay interest, taxes, insurance, and maintenance for years.

• Liquidity? Limited.

• Appreciation? Not always guaranteed — and often barely keeps up with inflation after expenses.

But here’s the irony: I speak with property owners all the time who hesitate to rent out a home they already own, even when the numbers make sense. They hesitate to turn it into a real investment.

Instead of viewing it through the lens of cash flow, leverage, depreciation, and appreciation — the four ROI's of real estate — they see it as a burden or emotional asset.

Buffett’s quote wasn’t anti-real estate. He’s a big believer in smart investing. The takeaway is this:

👉 If your home isn’t putting money in your pocket, then it’s not an investment — it’s a liability.

I’d love to hear your take:
Do you agree with Buffett, or is your primary home part of your wealth-building strategy?

Hey BP Community,

Looking for some advice and perspective from experienced investors.

I bought a property in Stockbridge, GA about a year ago for $225,000. It looked like a solid long-term investment at the time, but I’m starting to question if it was the right move.

Here's where I stand:

Purchase Price: $225,000

Current Value (After 1 Year): Still around $225,000 — no appreciation so far.

Total Investment So Far: Around $70,000 (including down payment, closing costs, agent fees, light renovations, etc.)

Cash Flow: Only about $200/month before expenses (not including reserves, maintenance, vacancy, etc.)

Tenants: I’ve already had 2 tenants in 1 year — both have moved out, which has added some headaches and turnover costs.

If I Sell Today: After agent commission and selling costs, I’d walk away with about $40,000, which means I’d be down ~$30,000 from what I’ve invested.

My original goal was long-term passive income, but at this point, I’m wondering if I should:

1. Hold and hope for appreciation + better tenant stability, or

2. Sell now, cut my losses, and re-deploy the cash into something with better returns or less friction.

This has been a bit discouraging, and I don’t want to make emotional decisions — just looking for input from others who’ve maybe been through something similar.

Any thoughts?

What would you do in my situation?

Thanks in advance!

Advice I would give myself is to study and do not stop. Start studying personal finances and continue to do so. I have found for myself that it is very easy to return to not-so-great financial habits very easily. I am a certified trainer and just as I watch my meals and track workouts the same concepts apply to money. So long story short study money listen to the podcast, read the books, and apply what is learned. 

 I have more properties, just don't intend to re-finance or re-structure like this. 

Just I have to yet find someone that invested post 2023 and pre 2023 that have had mirror like results. 

He is one of the few, and good for him. Surprised his rate was so high pre-2023, did he not re-finance then?

Most everyone who bought pre-2023 was better suited to diversify from RE. Only way RE is working post 2023--granted small sample size-- is less levered and capex as a top line not bottom line exposure.  And if done right, still absolutely excellent. I just am hearing from almost everyone(agents, sellers, recent buyers) nothing but regrets and stalling. 

I question the desire to re-finance, what's next for the capital? At 6.69 I still would rather own the debt than necessarily own the property.  Obviously this depends on property, but 10-20 low-grade properties I rather condense to 3-7 excellent properties & mortgage notes. 

Bundling 40+ SFRs into a $1M+ Cash Out Refi, 80% LTV Portfolio DSCR 

📈 This is what happens when strategy, trust, and clean execution line up

🧱Over 7 years, my client built a 40-unit rental portfolio - one property at a time - in a Midwestern city’s overlooked neighborhoods

🛠️No hype. No flipping. No outside capital. Just patient acquisitions, high-quality rehabs, and a focus on the long term

🏘️Some buildings were nearly condemned, but he resurrected them to “C2” status and received praise from city inspectors

📅In late 2024, that diligence paid off - we closed a $5.6M refinance with $1.2M cash out at 80% LTV and a 1.10x NOI DSCR

🏦From one of the city’s most conservative banks, but it didn’t happen overnight. The bank followed his work for years—small loans, relationship-building, and trust earned through numbers.

⚡That refinance unlocked a new chapter: he’s now eyeing larger projects, but remains anchored in the same communities

🚨Takeaway: If the numbers are right and the story is strong, even the most conservative lenders will support you! If you know of a similar developer, please share their story here!

Owning real estate is capital intensive and capital requirements extend well beyond purchasing the property.  The goal is to successfully own and operate real estate, not merely complete the acquisition.  Many who fail in real estate fail because they aren't properly capitalized, not necessarily because its a bad deal. No matter how good of a deal you have, it becomes a bad deal when there's no money to properly operate the property. Contingent and cap ex items surface,  subcontractors will disappear on you, you will experience a wonky occurrence where the  cost benefit analysis of using your deductible and generating a loss run against your insurance policy makes it more advantageous to pay out of pocket, expenses increase and the list goes on. No matter your experience level and how well you run your business, you will encounter all of these occurrences and promise the new investor won't escape this.