But it also comes with challenges—liability, payroll, scheduling, and managing workflow across multiple properties.

Although I find competition for what I call investment grade parks is quite keen.. so returns are more in the MF space.. when you venture out east from the west coast or look at low end parks returns are higher but management is quite intense.. as our dealing with some pretty scruffy tenant base.

I'm sorry this has turned into an expensive learning lesson vs a profitable venture for you. 

Good luck with the venture man.

Yes, QuickBooks Online for owner-level books + your PM’s Buildium for tenant/operations is the best combo.QBO structure: use Locations = each property; Classes = Owner vs PM activity.Chart of accounts mapping: mirror Buildium’s categories (rent, repairs, utilities, fees) so imports line up 1:1.Monthly workflow: export Buildium GL/owner statement → import to QBO (journal or detail) and tag to the right Location.Keep these in QBO (not Buildium): mortgages/escrows, insurance, pre-PM repairs, licenses, mailbox/RA, general overhead.Bank feeds & rules: auto-tag recurring spends; reconcile monthly.Outputs for lenders/accountant: P&L by Property (Location), Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, Debt Schedule, and a Schedule-E pack.

- What part of your workflow eats the most time (or gives you the most uncertainty)?

A number of things, including changes in market conditions, and failure of certain contractors to satisfactorily complete their work obligations, led to the financial failure of CALM.Unfortunately, everyone, including myself as well as Mike, Steve and Karen lost money on this venture.

Explore creative financing like seller financing or joint ventures.

When you’re self-managing, the key is finding a screening service that’s FCRA-compliant, offers direct client support, and values accuracy over speed of results :Full Credit Reports with FICO Scores (soft-pull preferred so it doesn’t impact the applicant’s credit).Nationwide Criminal and Eviction Searches that are manually verified for accuracy.Employment and Income Verification Tools that connect directly to payroll or bank data instead of relying on uploaded documents.Identity Verification Features that confirm facial biometrics and ID authenticity to prevent fraud.You’ll want something that integrates easily with your application workflow — whether you send applicants a link or manually enter their info — and delivers reports within a few hours.Feel free to message me any time if you’d like to chat.

A number of things, including changes in market conditions, and failure of certain contractors to satisfactorily complete their work obligations, led to the financial failure of CALM.Unfortunately, everyone, including myself as well as Mike, Steve and Karen lost money on this venture.