Louis right now•Any tips on property management, tenant quality, or appreciation potential•Areas to avoid vs. areas with strong growthMy goal is to build a solid buy-and-hold rental portfolio, so any guidance, local knowledge, or lessons learned would be greatly appreciateThank you in advance 

For a first multifamily, underwriting conservatively (in-place rents, realistic expenses) helps avoid surprises.MLS access is a big advantage, but I’d also talk with listing agents early and identify backups in case a deal falls through.

I was trying to avoid the double close since that's probably going to incur more fees plus the fact that I wouldn't have enough funds in the IRA to cover the first close. 

Even though the house is in your name, the money came from your parents’ HELOC, so it should be treated as a loan rather than a gift, ideally with a simple promissory note and reasonable interest to avoid IRS issues.

- Get most recent bank statement to cross-reference payroll deposits and avoid fraudulent paystubs & W-2s!

Always ensure the guest or airbnb initiates the cancellation to avoid the penalty, and in this case you definitely deserve the booking revenue. 

A well written management contract should clearly spell out what is expected of both the PMC and the owner, to PROTECT both and avoid misunderstandings.

Areas to prioritize / avoid for a first duplex in Atlanta (Tenant quality + Rent demand)2.

When the HML loan comes due, profits sail out the window if you are still working on it or the market has changed.Having a REALISTIC timeline and then add in grace to take care of unexpected issues which almost always come up can avoid those expensive lessons.

That lowers costs, shortens timelines and helps you avoid bad contractors which is one of the biggest problems new investors face.BRRR is usually more forgiving long term because you can hold the property, refinance and build wealth slowly, but it takes patience and solid financing.