I’d recommend using a combination of Asana and QuickBooks.Asana (or a similar project/task manager) is great for keeping track of to-dos, setting reminders for things like utility account setups, tracking who you spoke with, and following up on tasks.

Next, a surveyor and land-use attorney will guide you through the tentative map and what life-safety or utility-separation upgrades the city will require.

Keep credit utilization low and always pay your bills on time.

Do your tenants pay the utilities?

One meter with shared utilities is never ideal but at that price it probably wouldn't be a deal killer for me.

Portfolios are usually rented so make sure you verify - leases are in place, tenants are current, current condition of each property, utilities/who pays, you have financing in line.

I joined the platform because I'm really interested in hearing firsthand about the tangible needs of property owners in the real estate world.I’d love to ask: what tools or resources do you wish existed (or worked better than they currently do) to help keep recurring home costs low—whether that’s property taxes, insurance, utilities, or something else?

Utilities & Electrical PanelsIf you eventually rent it, you don’t have to split utilities—including utilities in rent is common—but separate meters make future tenant disputes easier to avoid.Electrical panels typically cannot be in a private unit unless there’s a locked common area with legal access.

There's different criteria to qualify.Most full time investors utilize DSCR loans to acquire a lot of properties.

Where I am in Iowa, I can build a 2bd, 1 bath duplex, ~1000 sqft, separate utilities etc. and have less than 200k into the build.