My passion in this industry is to build community, improve value of homes and create opportunity for those working to build generational wealth.

Some of the strongest reasons to raise rent include:Increased operating expensesSignificant property improvements (new flooring, appliances, etc.)Market shifts showing higher rates for similar unitsA strategic portfolio review showing below-market positioningIt’s not just about adding dollars—it’s about maintaining your investment’s performance in a changing economic landscape.But Sometimes, Holding Off Is the Smarter PlayIn the past, I’ve been know to advise some clients not to raise rent—even when they technically could.

I will say a few things though: Pros:My experience with them improved over the 5 years each year as they added more features, services and personnelThere 10% fee (10% of nightly rates and cleaning fees) is still reasonable for what they do if you don't want to worry about setting up and managing listings, professional photos, payments, guest inquiries, calendars, etc.They basically handle everything up until check in, they then set you up with one of their 'partners' in the area for the rest or you self-manage everything after check-in (I opted for the latter)Their staff is friendly and their owner portal is a really nice feature to go in and look at your portfolio of homes with them in a single space. 

Ned, if you are regarded as a DEALER, then any real property you buy as a DEALER is regarded as INVENTORY, and hence treated as a “cost of goods sold”.

It's considered a capital improvement.  

Its in Illinois, so if anybody knows of any state or federal credits that might work, please let me know.thanks Most energy-efficient tax credits, like the federal Residential Clean Energy or Energy Efficient Home Improvement credits, are meant for owner-occupants, not investors or flippers.Buyers might be able to claim credits if the upgrades meet IRS standards, but only if they paid for the improvements.

Cashout refi's are tough to execute with poor credit, and there is no guarantee that paying off old trades with bad history will improve your score. 

Most lenders shy away from funding land prep and infrastructure—soft costs like grading, roads, and utilities—because they’re hard to collateralize and carry a lot of risk without vertical improvements in place.In a similar deal, I partnered with another investor here on BiggerPockets to finance a similar project which also had an end buyer in hand, but the cost of capital was high as it was north of 25% annually to the borrower.

Yes, inventory has ADDED, a lot, over this time.

I'm learning as I go and would truly appreciate your expert feedback to help me improve.