Also alarm the house and transfer the monitoring to the new owners when you sell.Lastly, MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE NEIGHBORS!

Monitor your credit scores and try to stay above 650.

This should also show up in the CPI at some point since the owner’s equivalent rent is such a large weight in the CPI.

I need a comprehensive solution that can:• Track the property from the initial purchase and closing cost, rehab through ongoing management• Record and categorize all rental expenses• Allow me to scan and store receipts digitally "very important"• Monitor additional costs associated with the properties• Track rental income and proceedsI would appreciate any recommendations or suggestions you might have.Thank you in advance for your help!

- How will you monitor quality of work?

For your first flip, you must fully understand and budget for this potential issue.Red Flags ChecklistFor the General Contractor (GC):Delayed Quotes: Significant or repeated delays in providing you with bids and quotes.Poor Communication: Lack of responsiveness or reliable communication.Unreliable References: References that are difficult to contact, overly vague, or seem fabricated.Contractor & Project ManagementPre-Vetted GCs: Have a small list of multiple General Contractors ready to go before you need them.Active Oversight: Commit to visiting the property frequently—at least once a day, if necessary—to monitor progress and preempt issues.Financial & Deal FocusThe Deal-Killer: Be aware that the biggest hurdle in acquiring a property is often the seller's unrealistic price expectation.Conservative Estimation: You must be very conservative with your repair and renovation estimates.Don't Solely Rely on Others: Do not rely only on your contractor's estimates.Collaborate and Verify: Collect as much information as possible from your entire team to form your own final, conservative budget.Realtor Expertise: Your realtor should be a key part of your team, and they must be knowledgeable about the house-flipping business and local construction costs, (hands-on experience).Next StepsThe comment you made at the end of your original note is important and likely requires its own, separate discussion thread to give it the attention it deserves!

I’ve found that self-managing can be a great learning experience, especially for newer investors who want to understand the ins and outs of property management firsthand.That said, once you start scaling or move farther from your rentals, a good property manager can absolutely be worth their weight in gold.

I represent a lot of buyers and I do communicate the value of turnkey - its worth about $20/ft hard cost, and about 2 months of mortgage payments/opportunity cost and whatever you value dozens of hours of your own time.Strong rental history is good but I do not place a ton of weight on that. 

The pros of keeping it are the professional monitoring, immediate dispatch if there’s a break-in, and the fact that you don’t have to rebuild your setup from scratch.

I need a comprehensive solution that can:• Track the property from the initial purchase through ongoing management• Record and categorize all rental expenses• Allow me to scan and store receipts digitally• Monitor additional costs associated with the properties• Track rental income and proceedsI would appreciate any recommendations or suggestions you might have.