From there, you'll be able to naturally transition into other investment models and expand your business.

Quote from @Adam Zach: Hey BP community,We’ve been scaling a rent-to-own single-family housing model across the Midwest and Southeast and have run into a wall with traditional DSCR lenders.We’ve been working with small local banks and credit unions to finance deals, but as we grow, we’re looking for more scalable lending partners.

I want to be sure my taxes are in order as I transition, so I’d like to hire someone with the right expertise. 

Your needs are different from a traditional full-time agent, so finding the right brokerage that supports an "investor-agent" model is key.

Even one well-chosen property can teach you a lot about cash flow, property management, and financing.Mentorship: Don’t hesitate to reach out to seasoned investors in your area—many are open to mentoring newbies who show initiative.Learn to analyze deals: Start practicing with calculators and cash flow models so you can quickly spot properties that meet your goals.If you want, I can share some resources and strategies.

Some models are $140,000 and estimate installation about ~$30 a sq ft.

Personally, I’ve started running more conservative models, building in higher vacancy assumptions and smaller rent bumps than I used a couple of years ago.At the same time, I don’t want to get so conservative that I miss good opportunities.

I love chatgpt but I would try a prompt such as “what are creative means to finance a downpayment given the high interest environment and are not a HELOC”.AI models are brilliant, but point and shoot and context based so you need to ask it to open up to things you may not have though of you can ask it by prompting “pretend you are a real estate investor with very little cash saved search forums such as bigger pockets and reddit”.

The right tax planning can preserve more of your rental income, accelerate wealth building, and provide flexibility for future market shifts.Tax-Optimized Strategy:Your low-debt, high-cash-flow model is solid, but moderate leverage could speed up adding the 4 new units.With no W-2, you can likely qualify for REPS, letting depreciation offset all income (track hours carefully — OBBA tightened enforcement).Bonus depreciation is 100% in 2025, a cost seg on each build could front-load in deductions.Capitalize construction costs from your company to boost depreciable basis.Keep rentals in one LLC and your construction company as an S-Corp to reduce self-employment tax and preserve QBI deduction.Watch property tax reassessment and appeal if needed.Plan for depreciation recapture on sale; 1031 rules now have stricter timelines under OBBA.This post does not create a CPA-Client relationship.

Networking with like minded people and sharing expertise can open a lot of doors and make the process smoother for everyone involved.I work with a lending company, so I often see how connecting with reliable financing partners can help deals move faster and more efficiently.Feel free to connect if you’d like to share ideas or talk through more opportunities