Start small with contractors and test them out- rather than a HUGE scope of work, ask a GC that you like, to just do one thing- paint or replace flooring, etc.

I’ve been working on a simple underwriting tool for small investors who don’t want to spend an hour in Excel every time they look at a property.Here’s how it works:Drop in the basics (price, rent, expenses, loan terms)In 30 seconds, it spits out NOI, Cap Rate, DSCR, Cash-on-Cash, and a simple traffic-light recommendation (Green / Yellow / Red)You get a clean one-page summary you can actually use to make a quick “go/no-go” callI’m testing it out with real investors now.

For a property I thought had great potential I took an extra week to do research and gather data of what other properties in the area do directly from owners, because Airdna seemed to good to be true.

Personalized outreach always performs better, especially when it’s backed by accurate data and targeted lists.Handwritten letters + the right distress indicators = way higher response rates.Thanks for sharing your experience — posts like this help a lot of newer investors avoid expensive mistakes.

Hi @Susanne Stauffer,iIn general, capital gains exclusion under Section 121 ($250K single / $500K married) can still apply to the original primary residence, even if the lot is later subdivided, as long as you meet the ownership and use tests.

With these realities, a 70% loan-to-value ratio is the new 75% in many markets, and in lower-cost markets with thinner margins, 65% may be the real stress-tested number.

Other TipsStart small with 1–2 properties to test systems before scalingDocument all processes: tenant screening, rent collection, maintenance requestsEven self-managing, having a local point of contact (friend, relative, or contractor) can save huge headachesAlways happy to chat more about what's worked for other investors in OH.

Increasingly when investors share links with us it is often on Redfin - we prefer the data points but for our usages is actually less functional. 

I never tested that, but it mostly makes sense.

That is based on past data.