@Alex Hauser's example above is a good real-world data point — waiting paid off.On whether it's worth it for 2–4 units: the cost-benefit really depends on your depreciable basis (purchase price minus land), your tax situation, and whether you can actually use the losses.

You can read all the details for yourself here:Why Viceroy Research is Short on Arbor Realty TrustBelow are some snippets that are included to link this report to individuals and entities that have promoted here or have had investors discuss the investment here so when people search for them they can find this data."

I’m also a data scientist, so the idea of a ZIP-level screener definitely resonates.A few things that could make this more useful:• clearer sourcing/definitions for metrics (e.g. whether home price reflects list prices, sale prices, or a model)• visibility into which ZIPs are included in the upgrade• coverage beyond core cities to include inner-ring suburbs• more market context (e.g. competitiveness, school ratings, renter/owner mix)• ability to segment by property type (e.g.

It is a data-intensive area of real estate, which is highly competitive, and takes quite a bit of time to see any payoff. 

I’m also a licensed contractor, so a lot of my focus sits at the intersection of acquisition, renovation, and operations.Lately that’s meant spending a lot of time on STR demand, pricing, and execution …not just what looks good on paper, but what actually holds up after hundreds of stays.We share a monthly STR market snapshot with real demand data, pricing pressure, and upcoming risk/opportunity windows.

How are these deal websites getting this data, or did the marketing team mess up?

The property tax rate for the resales we target is 0.55%.Comparative Vacancy CostBelow is the comparison data for a minimum-priced new home and the typical-priced existing home our clients buy.New HomeResalePrice$550,000$400,000Interest rate3.99% (the rate you stated)6%Average stay1 Yr5 YrTime to re-rent3 Mo1.5 MoProperty tax rate1%0.55%Down payment25%25%Loan term30 Yrs30 YrsNew Home Ten-Year CostTo keep the example simple I did not include insurance or maintenance.Debt service (P&I): $1,967/MoProperty Tax: $5,500/Yr (1% x $550,000) or about $458/MoTotal monthly cost: $2,425/MoVacancy cost:Turns/Ten Years: 10Months vacant: 3 Mo x 10 turns = 30 monthsVacancy cost: 30 x $2,425/Mo = $72,750Resale Ten-Year CostTo keep the example simple I did not include insurance or maintenance.Debt service (P&I): $1,799/MoProperty Tax: $2,200/Yr (0.55% x $400,000) or about $183/MoTotal monthly cost: $1,982/MoVacancy cost:Turns/Ten Years: 2Months vacant: 1.5 Mo x 2 turns = 3 MoTen year vacancy cost: 3 x $1982/Mo = $5,946(The vacancy cost comparison is $72,750 for the new home versus $5,946 for the resale.

I bring this up because title companies aggregate data from transactions and sell/license that data to users.

Data Deep Dive: How's the market? 

Sellers received about 91% of list price in both Austin and the metro, slightly below last year’s levels, reflecting continued negotiation as a standard part of most transactions.Overall, the January data reflects a seasonally slow start to 2026, with lower closed sales and dollar volume, modest year-over-year price changes, and inventory levels that tightened compared with a year ago.