Yesterday, I wrote a contract on a property with a 14 day settlement on Dec 22. 

(I am attaching a diagram where the settlement is required) Recommended repair: 12 push piers, estimated at $16,000.

-One correction; size does matter so, if it's one of the big 5 subject to the National Servicing Settlement or, a bank/lender subject to "Large Servicer" designation by the CFPB, the rules are even more restrictive and...while it's great in theory and on television, "good, reputable and knowledgeable lawyers" are like Unicorns.

Currently, bouncing around, up 6-11 ticks.Addison, Allen, Anna, Azle, Batch Springs, Bedford, Benbrook, Burleson, Cedar Hill, Celina, Cleburne, Colleyville, Coppell, Corinth, Crowley, DeSoto, Duncanville, Ennis, Euless, Farmers Branch, Fate, Flower Mound, Forest Hill, Forney, Glenn Heights, Grapevine, Greenville, Haltom City, Highland Village, Hurst, Keller, Lancaster, Little Elm, Mansfield, Midlothian, Mineral Wells, Murphy, North Richland Hills, Prosper, Red Oak, Rockwall, Rowlett, Royse City, Sachse, Saginaw, Seagoville, Southlake, Terrell, The Colony, Trophy Club, University Park, Watauga, Waxahachie, Weatherford, White Settlement, Wylie, Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, Irving, Garland, Grand Prairie, McKinney, Frisco, Mesquite, Carrollton, Denton, Richardson, Lewisville, or Arlington

The small multi space in expensive markets can be a weird no-man’s land.Here’s the framework I use when choosing between the two:If the SFH rents at a stronger price-to-cost ratio than a duplex, and leases faster with a stickier tenant base, SFH wins every time.If the small multi gives you true economies of scale (shared utilities, lower taxes per door, strong rental demand), then the multi wins.In many Florida submarkets, SFH simply has the advantage.If your long-term goal is to replace your W2, the most important thing is buying into the product type that actually rents fast and stays full in your market.

The market’s tone is defensive, with participants hedging against surprises in Fed guidance while positioning for potential volatility around next week’s data-heavy calendar.WEEKLY INTEREST RATE SNAPSHOT (Images)  *National average rates are provided by Bankrate.com and Bloomberg Professional as of 12/8/2025 and are not advertised rates from Rate, Inc.Addison, Allen, Anna, Azle, Batch Springs, Bedford, Benbrook, Burleson, Cedar Hill, Celina, Cleburne, Colleyville, Coppell, Corinth, Crowley, DeSoto, Duncanville, Ennis, Euless, Farmers Branch, Fate, Flower Mound, Forest Hill, Forney, Glenn Heights, Grapevine, Greenville, Haltom City, Highland Village, Hurst, Keller, Lancaster, Little Elm, Mansfield, Midlothian, Mineral Wells, Murphy, North Richland Hills, Prosper, Red Oak, Rockwall, Rowlett, Royse City, Sachse, Saginaw, Seagoville, Southlake, Terrell, The Colony, Trophy Club, University Park, Watauga, Waxahachie, Weatherford, White Settlement, Wylie, Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, Irving, Garland, Grand Prairie, McKinney, Frisco, Mesquite, Carrollton, Denton, Richardson, Lewisville, or Arlington

Coach house > garden unit from a lender’s perspective every time.You already called it out, but it’s worth emphasizing:Garden unit = discount, scrutiny, sometimes zero usable incomeCoach house = fully counted, sometimes even a positive factor in underwritingIf your plan is to rinse and repeat loans, this matters a lot.My take:If the Jefferson Park asset looks solid in person, I’d go that direction.It lines up with your actual stated objective: scalability.If it ends up being mediocre or has big CapEx concerns, then the West Town deal becomes the better long-term hold, but with the understanding that it might slow your next purchase.Either way, you’re clearly evaluating these with the right framework.

If you get sued, maybe @Nathan Gesner will be willing to pay your legal fees and the settlement if it exceeds umbrella insurance?...

I appreciate any real-world advice or frameworks you can share especially from folks actively developing in Texas or similar markets.Thanks in advance for your help!

It’s, “Which bucket does the carrier use for settlement?”