From there, choose the firm that best aligns with your expectations for value, experience, and speed of service rather than trying to crown one universal “best.”

Even when using a specialized STR company, costs and risk tend to be higher.Long-term rentals, on the other hand, often provide more financial stability and predictability, which can make it easier to scale and build a portfolio over time—particularly for newer investors.Ultimately, the best strategy is the one that aligns with you as an investor: your risk tolerance, capital, time, and long-term goals.

Ultimately, your pricing and marketing strategy should align with how quickly you need to sell.

Find ways to keep in touch with your database systematically.If you get discouraged by someone not being qualified on the first call, your expectations are not aligned with this business. 

Every component of a house comes with a design life.

As a CPA, why would you not also recommend she divide up the component costs of the renovation(ie cost of cabinets, floors, etc) into separate depreciable components, getting 80-90% of the benefit of a renovation cost seg without the cost?

Let’s dive into it.Potential consequences of working with an unqualified firm:Missed opportunities: Firms that are inexperienced may overlook numerous components that are eligible to be reclassified as they lack the knowledge or don’t perform a thorough analysis.This reduces the amount of potential deductions which also reduces your potential tax savings!

I recently worked with a California homeowner who completed a 1031 exchange into two long-term rental properties in the Grand Rapids, MI area.The goal was to reposition equity from a higher-cost market into Midwest rentals with more stable cash flow, while coordinating both acquisitions and financing remotely.We focused on rent-ready properties rather than heavy rehabs, and structured the purchases together to keep timelines aligned and reduce execution risk.Curious what others are seeing right now in Grand Rapids in terms of pricing, rent-to-value ratios, or investor demand compared to prior years.

It’s about making smart, durable investments that support what already works—and letting the city benefit from that alignment over time.30-year fixed-rate mortgages are sitting around 5.87%, the lowest they’ve been in ages.

Given the loss of the job, I’ve been working on ideas to take this time to at least align myself within the real estate realm.