Features like pools, landscaping, driveway upgrades, patios, fire pits, and outdoor lighting can play a huge role in creating that appeal.Now, the marketing benefit is great… but as a CPA, that’s not why land improvements are one of my favorite deductions.Land improvements are especially powerful because they may qualify for 100% bonus depreciation if acquired and placed in service after January 19, 2025.

Lenders and courts still tend to look at ownership and control, even when there’s no personal guarantee.From what I’ve seen, people who use Chapter 13 effectively tend to treat it as a reset window, stabilizing income and credit, then being very intentional about acquisitions after discharge rather than forcing deals mid-plan.Not legal advice of course, just how it tends to play out on the financing side.

Syndications and niche plays are better once you’ve owned and operated property yourself.Focus your first year on:- Learning how to underwrite deals correctly- Understanding financing and reserves- Running one property well from start to finishFor mentors, stick close to local REIAs and smaller investor meetups.

The way I’ve been approaching it is by underwriting markets the same way I underwrite individual deals — looking at taxes, rent-to-price relationships, tenant demand, and how forgiving the area feels if assumptions don’t play out perfectly. 

I personally like to invest in colombus and it is great for equity plays and appreciation.

Hey Robert, I would like to recommend something that I have found helpful.Very simple- go to a mortgage calculator online (a free one that does not require you to input any information about yourself)- take the amount of $100,000 as your purchase price, and play with the variables- hold everything constant, but vary your down payment amount (5%, 10%, 20%, etc) and see what that does to the mortgage amount- then hold everything constant and do the same for interest rate (4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, etc)By doing this on a simple amount of $100,000, you can begin to see the magnitude of changes to down payment and interest rateDepending on the situation, this may end up surprising you.

However every city plays by its own rules and you must be aware of them.Because you’ll be operating from Virginia, I’d also recommend talking to a few STR management companies while you’re in town.

I'll send you a DM with the info, would love for you to play around with it and give me feedback. 

Once we got the health department notices, it was clear the game she was playing. 

I think a lot of people forget that increased cash on hand and playing the slow but steady game along with your property appreciation will only further your purchasing power when other macro variables change.