All Forum Posts by: Matt Marcus

The south east is very beneficial from a tax standpoint and price points are so increasing at a predictable rate and we still have a housing shortage. I do know areas like nashville and surrounding communities do have many competitors in the area, but we have a lot of supporting that that in the near and short term will not be able to keep up with demand even with the current players in town and entering the market.  And with costal and tier one markets decentralizing and utilizing remote work combined with moving headquarters or opening of second HUB's there is plenty of job growth and opportunity for years to come because those companies do not make a decision based on 1-5 year cycles they are looking for the next 30 years to relocate. So steady job growth, diversified industries, moderate price points, and growing markets-- South east does have plenty of competitors, but there is still not enough people to help curb the supply problem we have and could use more people flipping and building properties in the south east.

I Manage LTR Multifamily - Airbnb's and do MTR since we can host those on the STR sites and the process is much the same.

Quote from @Dan H.:

Quote from @Matt Marcus:

Quote from @Dan H.:

Quote from @Matt Marcus:

Quote from @Luka Milicevic:

As someone that was in the thick of the legal battles in 2016 to save Nashville STRs I can provide a lot of insight into this issue. I attended all of the city hearings on STRs and proposed legislations. 

I heard home owners speak out about their experiences living next to STRs and I too would be very upset and want them all gone. 

A mother was talking about how she had a new born baby and between Thursday through Sunday they never slept due to the parties happening next door. She started full on sobbing while describing her experience. This is not a once of STR experience that she was describing. This was a common occurrence. There were blow up dolls in the windows, beer cans on the front lawn, etc. No one...and I mean no one wants to live next to that.

One can argue that's just a result of a poorly managed STR, well if that's the case then almost all of them are poorly managed since that's such a common experience. I personally managed my STR and did vetting like crazy for guests. I looked through facebook profiles, etc. I still had instances of parties happening and I called the police on my own STR to shut it down.

The other issue here is the affordability factor for long term renters and home owners. Back when Nashville was a free for all STR location, for every house I built 100% of the pre construction interest was an investor looking to buy an STR. It is such an incredibly lucrative market that every single house would be turned into an STR. I saw it happening in 2016. The cost and availability to LTR and home owners would be greatly diminished. Sure...you can make the argument that the market would regulate itself at some point.

As someone that supports STRs being allowed to operate, I 10000% understand the concerns people have and I too would be very upset with the stories I have heard. I also fully support some restrictions that have been put in place to protect homeowners. 

In the same boat as Luka-- I think where nashville laws have landed have been pretty good! If your property is zoned for a commercial purpose or you have an approved Specific Plan/ HOA that allows it, then Rent it out all you want. but if it is zoned for Single family, leave it single family or allow the owner to do a primary occupancy STR and not taking away their right to make money with their own home-- which was the full intent of AirbnbSTR when it started.

All governing bodies need to consider the needs and concerns of it's citiczens with those who want to invest in their city from the outside. So part is political and part is economical.

With our already low inventory of SFR being available at affordable prices ( since nashville wages have not kept up with the cost of living and most cities have that issue so nashville is nothing special) if every new construction was pre-sold as an STR you have a few things happen,

1) You turn area's or subdivisions in to hotels/ ghost parts of town where there are not occupant owners that want to live due to the issues assocaited with what luka mentioned

2) Build quality is already low , but you de-incentivize quality construction because the it will just be a rental / short term home so the quality of the inventory produced goes down, so future investment and future inventory is hurt for SFR since not many people -- as being an agent, want to live in a home where it was used and abused for years on end, because a lot of times those homes doe not attract the average home buyer sine they want a home not a hotel and want better quality homes.

3) you increase the rate of in-affordability if all homes were STR's .... in the past decade of living here what I bought when I first moved here at $127,000 in 2011 to What that same house is worth at $500,000 and I've done absolutely nothing to it except make it a rental property and maybe buy a few more with the heloc i got, but I am part of the problem of owners who bought, have multiple units , are not selling and contributing to higher prices and lower inventory but I am doing well for myself and my business which is fine, but i am in a position to say it's fine, where most people just want to live in a place they love and close to where they work, and if they cannot afford a home since all these STR are carrying an extra 150-250k premium on the sale price then it puts wealth building on hold or out of reach for others and government is the body that can regulate and but some guard rails on both

and finally then we have to consider what is best for the health of the city. If a City is a tourist built city, then we have tourist built problems (which nashville already has in droves ) but if we build our cities to incentives long term residence, growth, business, -- the whole city benefits from a healthier and more stable and robust economy and honestly a more enjoyable place to live. Which will incentivizes more investment, more tourists and more STR Communities and SFR construction over the long term.

As someone that has owned STRs longer than virtually anyone on this forum and LTRs almost as long, your condition statement is not correct. My STRs are in better shape than even my best LTR tenants keep the units and in better shape that a very large percentage of owner occupancy properties (in better shape than far over 50% of OO properties).

Have you stayed in an STR? How was the shape and cleanliness. I my market STRs are kept very clean and in very good condition with higher end finishes.

good luck

Hey dan, be positive here- we’re a positive community. 

I show, own , manage , build, and renovate  homes in nashville literally everyday and I see the inventory or short term rentals that come up - that we’re formerly STRs and because of them being RM20’s or no longer eligible — I see that on average - condition is more hard wearing- clients notice- and some don’t want those homes wasn’t making it a hard and fast tule- but a generalization on what I’ve seen.

 
so asking for the communities sake- lighten up- you and I benefited from the past decade - we both own doors- so I hear your option about my thoughts and it’s cool if you disagree- just lighten up my friend and we’re here to build each other up, not tear down (unless it’s a 2 build)😜

I did not mean to be negative.  I thought it was a legit question especially because what you describe does not match my extensive STR experience.  

I have owned STRs over 2 decades, stayed in STRs for over 2 decades all over the country, Europe, Mexico, Central America, but never Nashville (I have not been there but want to visit some time).  In virtually every STR I have stayed, the finishes, cleanliness, condition is better than virtually all LTR units and a majority of OO properties.  Nashville may be an exception to the many STRs I have stayed in, but I cannot determine why that would be the case.  

STR success is heavily impacted by the STR  feedback ratings.  Dirty, unkept, and/or low quality STRs will have this reflected in their feed ratings and have a difficult time competing against nicer units.  My STRs look almost model home like.  They are clean with high quality finishes.  My market demands this to have a successful STR.  

It’s all good man, I would say most of the Airbnb‘s are actually in pretty good condition that are operational. I do know that from the build quality of a lot of the short term rentals that have come up for sale. Those units were not in as good condition when they came up for resale, especially if they were being sold as a single-family because they were no longer eligible and most of that has to do with the original build quality of the home that we put up and then the rest of it would be whether that particular Airbnb manager or owner maintain the property well.

over the years as Nashville's laws  caused owners to give up thier Iryna because it was no longer eligible or grandfathered in —my client when they found out that they were previously air B&Bs they were not very keen on pursuing the property as their next home knowing that they get a lot of use, and /wear and tear. And honestly some of those wear and tear items, don’t really show up on photos or in a first impression, but usually show up in empty homes that are scuffed up, warped floors from water, being on them, or floors from doors being left open or just cheaper finishes that did not hold up as well over time. .

Also, Construction loans and Hard money loans right now ... bad news. I think you could get a pretty good construction loan but will still be 8.5% and points -- what i was just quoted from a couple of lenders for a 2 build i am working on. Hard money in some case would be better depending on where you could get it , rate might be only slightly higher as I am getting a 10 % and 3points from hard money right now.  But your best case for the consturction loan would be likely a local bank like wilson bank and trust or first tenn, Studio, or some of the others.  Also requirements may have calmed down but some lenders were not willing to give out construction loans less than a certain amount and only if you had done deals previously with them or have had a history of doing projects as they have gotten really conservative with giving out Construction loans, so that is another reason Hard Money or Private money would be easier in my book.

Quote from @Amber Turner:

I own 6 properties (5 in Nashville, 1 in Georgia) of which 4 have appreciated considerably. My husband is a W-2 employee, I am a 1099. We recently purchased a historic home as our primary and are planning to both renovate and build a DADU. We're looking for approximately $500,000 and would like to pull these funds from 2 of our properties. Any suggestions on lenders who are offering a HELOC on a secondary/investment? What should I consider when going this route vs. a construction loan?

Local banks might give you a better rate: in Nashville - Studio Bank, Pinnicale, Ascend Credit Union-- those might be some good options, other wise I'm sure Chase or Well's can do it. DON'T use republic bank, I've have them for my HELOC and used to send them for my clients too and then they did some shady stuff that messed up a couple of deals we were working on, and were not that attentive even on my own deal and made it come down to the wire. But i do like local banks for rates and they tend to do pretty well in offering those products when other lenders wont

Quote from @Dan H.:

Quote from @Matt Marcus:

Quote from @Luka Milicevic:

As someone that was in the thick of the legal battles in 2016 to save Nashville STRs I can provide a lot of insight into this issue. I attended all of the city hearings on STRs and proposed legislations. 

I heard home owners speak out about their experiences living next to STRs and I too would be very upset and want them all gone. 

A mother was talking about how she had a new born baby and between Thursday through Sunday they never slept due to the parties happening next door. She started full on sobbing while describing her experience. This is not a once of STR experience that she was describing. This was a common occurrence. There were blow up dolls in the windows, beer cans on the front lawn, etc. No one...and I mean no one wants to live next to that.

One can argue that's just a result of a poorly managed STR, well if that's the case then almost all of them are poorly managed since that's such a common experience. I personally managed my STR and did vetting like crazy for guests. I looked through facebook profiles, etc. I still had instances of parties happening and I called the police on my own STR to shut it down.

The other issue here is the affordability factor for long term renters and home owners. Back when Nashville was a free for all STR location, for every house I built 100% of the pre construction interest was an investor looking to buy an STR. It is such an incredibly lucrative market that every single house would be turned into an STR. I saw it happening in 2016. The cost and availability to LTR and home owners would be greatly diminished. Sure...you can make the argument that the market would regulate itself at some point.

As someone that supports STRs being allowed to operate, I 10000% understand the concerns people have and I too would be very upset with the stories I have heard. I also fully support some restrictions that have been put in place to protect homeowners. 

In the same boat as Luka-- I think where nashville laws have landed have been pretty good! If your property is zoned for a commercial purpose or you have an approved Specific Plan/ HOA that allows it, then Rent it out all you want. but if it is zoned for Single family, leave it single family or allow the owner to do a primary occupancy STR and not taking away their right to make money with their own home-- which was the full intent of AirbnbSTR when it started.

All governing bodies need to consider the needs and concerns of it's citiczens with those who want to invest in their city from the outside. So part is political and part is economical.

With our already low inventory of SFR being available at affordable prices ( since nashville wages have not kept up with the cost of living and most cities have that issue so nashville is nothing special) if every new construction was pre-sold as an STR you have a few things happen,

1) You turn area's or subdivisions in to hotels/ ghost parts of town where there are not occupant owners that want to live due to the issues assocaited with what luka mentioned

2) Build quality is already low , but you de-incentivize quality construction because the it will just be a rental / short term home so the quality of the inventory produced goes down, so future investment and future inventory is hurt for SFR since not many people -- as being an agent, want to live in a home where it was used and abused for years on end, because a lot of times those homes doe not attract the average home buyer sine they want a home not a hotel and want better quality homes.

3) you increase the rate of in-affordability if all homes were STR's .... in the past decade of living here what I bought when I first moved here at $127,000 in 2011 to What that same house is worth at $500,000 and I've done absolutely nothing to it except make it a rental property and maybe buy a few more with the heloc i got, but I am part of the problem of owners who bought, have multiple units , are not selling and contributing to higher prices and lower inventory but I am doing well for myself and my business which is fine, but i am in a position to say it's fine, where most people just want to live in a place they love and close to where they work, and if they cannot afford a home since all these STR are carrying an extra 150-250k premium on the sale price then it puts wealth building on hold or out of reach for others and government is the body that can regulate and but some guard rails on both

and finally then we have to consider what is best for the health of the city. If a City is a tourist built city, then we have tourist built problems (which nashville already has in droves ) but if we build our cities to incentives long term residence, growth, business, -- the whole city benefits from a healthier and more stable and robust economy and honestly a more enjoyable place to live. Which will incentivizes more investment, more tourists and more STR Communities and SFR construction over the long term.

As someone that has owned STRs longer than virtually anyone on this forum and LTRs almost as long, your condition statement is not correct. My STRs are in better shape than even my best LTR tenants keep the units and in better shape that a very large percentage of owner occupancy properties (in better shape than far over 50% of OO properties).

Have you stayed in an STR? How was the shape and cleanliness. I my market STRs are kept very clean and in very good condition with higher end finishes.

good luck

Hey dan, be positive here- we’re a positive community. 

I show, own , manage , build, and renovate  homes in nashville literally everyday and I see the inventory or short term rentals that come up - that we’re formerly STRs and because of them being RM20’s or no longer eligible — I see that on average - condition is more hard wearing- clients notice- and some don’t want those homes wasn’t making it a hard and fast tule- but a generalization on what I’ve seen.

 
so asking for the communities sake- lighten up- you and I benefited from the past decade - we both own doors- so I hear your option about my thoughts and it’s cool if you disagree- just lighten up my friend and we’re here to build each other up, not tear down (unless it’s a 2 build)😜

Quote from @Matthew Rich:

Quote from @Matt Marcus:

Quote from @Matthew Rich:

Hey guys my name is Matt Rich 30 year old, I’ve listened to bigger pockets podcast on Spotify for months now and just now getting on here to try and learn more. I currently don’t have any extra real estate I own my home it has extra equity in it considering selling it and building something smaller and using the profit and rolling it into other investments. Fear is my biggest issue breaking through the ice and taking a chance on an investment so here to hopefully finally go through with it. 

 From one Matthew to another- You're Idea is great to start out with. I think you have a few options.

1) KEEP Your current house if you can. Obtain as large of a HELOC on your current home as you can First and capitalize on your equity depending on how much you have and if you have a lower Rate on your current home, keep it! THEN Rent our your current place to cover 125% (25% above) of your mortgage ( and if possible also above your HELOC Monthly payment if it were maxed out)- get a security deposit and then YOU move into a smaller rental for up to 3 months. THEN Buy another primary residence and if possible HOUSE HACK and have someone rent a room and pay part of your mortgage. That way you have 2 income producing properties and you are lowering your monthly payments to be able to save for the next property. Then Repeat for a few years, and/or buy either other investments opportunities but keep your current home.

Remember Buy real estate and wait. Don't wait to buy. you cannot time the market. so make the best decisions you can and know your KPI's and what works with your monthly expense goals. 

2) Sell your current home, RENT for your personal , KEEP the captial from it and then 

a)  Invest in Flips using Hard money or Gap funding (just know your numbers and area- if you've been a listener just find a good team to help you too!) and don't think too small in fear of failing. IF you know what you need to make on the deal after all costs, then don't negotaite with your self on them. stick to them and know what you are able to take on, for a project and know where you need help and hire the right help.

b) Invest in Multifamily/ Duplexes if you can and then look for value add opportunities. 

c) Find DSCR loans for properties that are already income producing. (kiavi may be able to help there)

d) Partner in on a deal- You work with someone who is reliable and trustwrothy who knows the business and join them in on a deal and bring the money to the table to get an % return and mitigate risk or an Equity stake and take on addtitional sweat equity but with someone who is willing to work with you and help teach you development, flips or buy and holds. 

And there are more options but also find your self  a GOOD REAL ESTATE TAX STRATEGIST  not just a CPA - you need one who knows how to maximize your income for being able and decrease your tax liability and most CPA's might know how to file your taxes for RE but in terms of being a valued member of your team,  a good CPA who knows how to be a partner in your buisness to advise you on corporate structures, types of deductions can what you can do with your RE income and how you don't have to return all the money you made back to Uncle Sam will be just as valuable as finding / and if not more valuable than finding one good deal . A good CPA for your real estate needs will save you $100,000 of thousands of Dollars for the cost of a few hundred dollars a month on retainer. Trust me. 

I'd be happy to connect you and be a service to For any of your needs- I do it all the time and You will do so well in your upcoming RE journey. 

The only issue with my home is location I live in a tiny town a couple hours from nashville I have built a ton of equity in it but rent in my area is very low and STR isn't the hottest either it's very rural but a lot of people are still moving here. I think my best option is to sell my current property take all the positive equity and roll it into a couple other purchases wether that be LTR or fix and flips I love all the information added and need to read this several times lol.

Happy to help, I can help you run a rental comp report to see if it is worth it or not in your area-- I always want to help others with as much as i can so they can make a decision that feel's right for them. 

Selling in a rural area depending on your area and it's specific characteristics usually comes with a bit longer days on market and likely some more negotiation on the sale side + cost of commissions, title costs and any seller concessions.  So if you were to get a HELOC on your home of 90% of the equity you have in it, you would walk away with more cash , likely than if you were to sell outright, and you wouldnt have to have it on your income tax report for 2023, so you save in 2 ways there. 

Then use the heloc for the down payment, partner project, buy and hold, duplex, DSCR loan --- you name it and you can have a few more options. The first rule of money is don't loose money. And the second rule of money is like the first. and giving it to uncle same or even just in the cost of commissions as much as I am an agent and work solely on commission i am also about wealth building and if the cost of doing business eat's into your equity, the bank might just give you more money than if you were to sell outright and subtract the cost and seller concessions. 

And lastly, if you go that route, ideally try to make $100-$150 cash flow per bedroom in your home after the mortgage (P+I+taxes) -- but if your rents could cover your mortgage, and give you just a small margin of profit. then I would choose the heloc, you go rent somewhere else, and then wait to utilize the capital based on the project you feel comfortable with and want to tackle. 

Quote from @Luka Milicevic:

As someone that was in the thick of the legal battles in 2016 to save Nashville STRs I can provide a lot of insight into this issue. I attended all of the city hearings on STRs and proposed legislations. 

I heard home owners speak out about their experiences living next to STRs and I too would be very upset and want them all gone. 

A mother was talking about how she had a new born baby and between Thursday through Sunday they never slept due to the parties happening next door. She started full on sobbing while describing her experience. This is not a once of STR experience that she was describing. This was a common occurrence. There were blow up dolls in the windows, beer cans on the front lawn, etc. No one...and I mean no one wants to live next to that.

One can argue that's just a result of a poorly managed STR, well if that's the case then almost all of them are poorly managed since that's such a common experience. I personally managed my STR and did vetting like crazy for guests. I looked through facebook profiles, etc. I still had instances of parties happening and I called the police on my own STR to shut it down.

The other issue here is the affordability factor for long term renters and home owners. Back when Nashville was a free for all STR location, for every house I built 100% of the pre construction interest was an investor looking to buy an STR. It is such an incredibly lucrative market that every single house would be turned into an STR. I saw it happening in 2016. The cost and availability to LTR and home owners would be greatly diminished. Sure...you can make the argument that the market would regulate itself at some point.

As someone that supports STRs being allowed to operate, I 10000% understand the concerns people have and I too would be very upset with the stories I have heard. I also fully support some restrictions that have been put in place to protect homeowners. 

In the same boat as Luka-- I think where nashville laws have landed have been pretty good! If your property is zoned for a commercial purpose or you have an approved Specific Plan/ HOA that allows it, then Rent it out all you want. but if it is zoned for Single family, leave it single family or allow the owner to do a primary occupancy STR and not taking away their right to make money with their own home-- which was the full intent of AirbnbSTR when it started.

All governing bodies need to consider the needs and concerns of it's citiczens with those who want to invest in their city from the outside. So part is political and part is economical.

With our already low inventory of SFR being available at affordable prices ( since nashville wages have not kept up with the cost of living and most cities have that issue so nashville is nothing special) if every new construction was pre-sold as an STR you have a few things happen,

1) You turn area's or subdivisions in to hotels/ ghost parts of town where there are not occupant owners that want to live due to the issues assocaited with what luka mentioned

2) Build quality is already low , but you de-incentivize quality construction because the it will just be a rental / short term home so the quality of the inventory produced goes down, so future investment and future inventory is hurt for SFR since not many people -- as being an agent, want to live in a home where it was used and abused for years on end, because a lot of times those homes doe not attract the average home buyer sine they want a home not a hotel and want better quality homes.

3) you increase the rate of in-affordability if all homes were STR's .... in the past decade of living here what I bought when I first moved here at $127,000 in 2011 to What that same house is worth at $500,000 and I've done absolutely nothing to it except make it a rental property and maybe buy a few more with the heloc i got, but I am part of the problem of owners who bought, have multiple units , are not selling and contributing to higher prices and lower inventory but I am doing well for myself and my business which is fine, but i am in a position to say it's fine, where most people just want to live in a place they love and close to where they work, and if they cannot afford a home since all these STR are carrying an extra 150-250k premium on the sale price then it puts wealth building on hold or out of reach for others and government is the body that can regulate and but some guard rails on both

and finally then we have to consider what is best for the health of the city. If a City is a tourist built city, then we have tourist built problems (which nashville already has in droves ) but if we build our cities to incentives long term residence, growth, business, -- the whole city benefits from a healthier and more stable and robust economy and honestly a more enjoyable place to live. Which will incentivizes more investment, more tourists and more STR Communities and SFR construction over the long term.

Quote from @Rick Albert:

The entire brokerage model has changed considerably over the last five years or so.

It's not just the brokerage now, it can also be a team.

Maybe join an investor friendly team that can mentor you. I worked with an agent out of Nashville and he took on all of the investor leads from the team he was on. Now he branched off and is starting his own thing within the same brokerage.

Don't be fooled into the flat fee brokerages/low splits if they don't offer much. I know people who have joined those brokerages and have left because they weren't getting the support they wanted/needed. 

 If I had to start all over again... WORK TO LEARN before I WORK TO EARN!- now that said, I know you need to make income for your monthly needs-- but I would join a team, and make sure the fit is there and then work to get as many deals moving to get a solid deal flow going, and then then when you feel is right , head out on your own. Find a team that works with the clients you want to work with and with the products you want to sell, not just any team. 

You will increase your deal Knowlege faster, have more regular income coming in, Work with more clients and systems that will only benefit your career.  But it will come at the cost of a higher split / maybe more than you want to pay, but for new agents I ask , would you rather have 1 deal in the next 6 months that pays you say 30k but have no cash flow for that time or would you rather have 6-10 deals but make 5k per deal.  If you can float it , building your own business is the way to go, but with each sale you will get more confident and you can always go on your own later. but learning systems, process, and having people to partner in on your goals would be the way to go.  for sure.  Go further , Faster with less effort. 

There is not best brokerage. Just one that works for you. I've been at 3-4 brokerages and some may have better incentives but the people make your experience I've learned. Surround yourself with more active people and then you will do wonders. 

Quote from @Matthew Rich:

Hey guys my name is Matt Rich 30 year old, I’ve listened to bigger pockets podcast on Spotify for months now and just now getting on here to try and learn more. I currently don’t have any extra real estate I own my home it has extra equity in it considering selling it and building something smaller and using the profit and rolling it into other investments. Fear is my biggest issue breaking through the ice and taking a chance on an investment so here to hopefully finally go through with it. 

 From one Matthew to another- You're Idea is great to start out with. I think you have a few options.

1) KEEP Your current house if you can. Obtain as large of a HELOC on your current home as you can First and capitalize on your equity depending on how much you have and if you have a lower Rate on your current home, keep it! THEN Rent our your current place to cover 125% (25% above) of your mortgage ( and if possible also above your HELOC Monthly payment if it were maxed out)- get a security deposit and then YOU move into a smaller rental for up to 3 months. THEN Buy another primary residence and if possible HOUSE HACK and have someone rent a room and pay part of your mortgage. That way you have 2 income producing properties and you are lowering your monthly payments to be able to save for the next property. Then Repeat for a few years, and/or buy either other investments opportunities but keep your current home.

Remember Buy real estate and wait. Don't wait to buy. you cannot time the market. so make the best decisions you can and know your KPI's and what works with your monthly expense goals. 

2) Sell your current home, RENT for your personal , KEEP the captial from it and then 

a)  Invest in Flips using Hard money or Gap funding (just know your numbers and area- if you've been a listener just find a good team to help you too!) and don't think too small in fear of failing. IF you know what you need to make on the deal after all costs, then don't negotaite with your self on them. stick to them and know what you are able to take on, for a project and know where you need help and hire the right help.

b) Invest in Multifamily/ Duplexes if you can and then look for value add opportunities. 

c) Find DSCR loans for properties that are already income producing. (kiavi may be able to help there)

d) Partner in on a deal- You work with someone who is reliable and trustwrothy who knows the business and join them in on a deal and bring the money to the table to get an % return and mitigate risk or an Equity stake and take on addtitional sweat equity but with someone who is willing to work with you and help teach you development, flips or buy and holds. 

And there are more options but also find your self  a GOOD REAL ESTATE TAX STRATEGIST  not just a CPA - you need one who knows how to maximize your income for being able and decrease your tax liability and most CPA's might know how to file your taxes for RE but in terms of being a valued member of your team,  a good CPA who knows how to be a partner in your buisness to advise you on corporate structures, types of deductions can what you can do with your RE income and how you don't have to return all the money you made back to Uncle Sam will be just as valuable as finding / and if not more valuable than finding one good deal . A good CPA for your real estate needs will save you $100,000 of thousands of Dollars for the cost of a few hundred dollars a month on retainer. Trust me. 

I'd be happy to connect you and be a service to For any of your needs- I do it all the time and You will do so well in your upcoming RE journey.