I’ve seen a lot of first-time 1031 investors surprised by this, so a few practical points from the financing side (not tax advice):There’s no true “zero-fee” debt — it’s usually a choice between higher rate / lower fees or lower rate / higher fees.

From your side, it is less compelling, but still practical.

Networking with people who already have experience can give you practical insights, tips, and even potential mentorship as you start your journey.

Just looking to understand how people are handling this in practice and where things tend to break down before I get in too far over my head.

Practice your pitch.

The goal is simple: turn overlooked or underperforming properties into income-producing assets using practical, creative strategies.I’m actively building toward purchasing my first property in Q3 or Q4 of 2026 and am currently on track to become a licensed Virginia real estate agent.If you’re an investor, agent, or homeowner interested in connecting, collaborating, or partnering, my DMs are open.

The problem is a gun just like any external weapon can give the person carrying it the false sense of superiority.It amazes how many people practice with a gun yet a gun is not allowed in a ton of places nationally.

You don't have to cover the fees, you just have to make them look low.Instant Booking: pushes your property out to all of our other platforms (Expedia Group).I had to practically give away a 9 day booking last December on VRBO because they stacked together several discounts.

Not something you could have reasonably predicted or prevented.A few practical tweaks that do help deter this kind of booking: • Stronger rental agreement with clear no-party language and immediate termination rights (airbnb rules would support this too but I find a rental agreement can be a deterrent to party guests booking in first place)  • No one-night stays, especially on holidays and event weekends • Higher pricing on peak dates (not just for revenue—this filters guests) • More guest screening: ID verification, minimum age, confirmation of purpose of stay • Extra scrutiny for local bookings—those are often higher risk near bar districtsYou already had most best practices in place.

In practice, lenders who understand both small commercial income and residential collateral tend to be the most flexible, and keeping early deals simple and conservative usually makes scaling easier.