Then you can refinance faster and pull out more cash for the next down payment.The Multifamily 2-4 unit is a very smart strategy because it offers the customer immediate cash flow once they move out and a mortgage paid off sooner.

IE if you are selling notes, you should know that market better than your customers, which should put you in a good position to invest in something you already know. 

Tom Wheelwright’s books contain more detailed information than the online courses do.

If you buy Used containers they come in all colors and rust.

Scope of improvements included:Full interior updates: new flooring, interior paint, lighting, granite countertops, and updated appliancesAddition of high-demand short-term rental amenities: game rooms, custom bunk beds, hot tubs, swimming pools, and putting greensProfessional interior design and full furnishing to optimize guest experience and nightly ratesThese improvements were executed with the objective of maximizing long-term performance, increasing appraised value, and creating differentiated offerings within the Hot Springs vacation rental market.Refinance & Financial PerformanceUpon completion of renovations, we partnered with a local commercial lender to refinance the portfolio.Combined appraised value (ARV): $2,601,000Approved loan amount: $2,200,000 (cash-out refinance)After retiring the hard money loan, the transaction resulted in a net cash return of $300,470.51, which represents $118,181.09 more than our original down payment—effectively removing all invested capital from the project.TimelineThe full cycle—from acquisition through renovation and refinance—was completed in 174 days.OutcomeThe result is a portfolio of three fully renovated, amenity-rich lakefront properties, each now positioned to perform as premium short-term rentals with strong long-term appreciation potential.

Credit card transactions still have to be entered manually.We actually use QuickBooks Online (QBO) for our accounting since it gives us more flexibility and reporting options.I’d also love to see an in-app calling feature (right now it’s text only).More flexibility to create custom CRM statuses would be nice too.I haven’t tried many other platforms yet, but for now AppFolio covers most of what we need pretty well.

Studying the management side the right wayI’m currently reading Brandon Turners “The Book on Managing Rental Properties” and really taking the systems seriously.My plan: Use Brandon’s forms as a baseline Customize them for North Carolina landlord-tenant laws Potentially have an attorney review the lease package before implementing it (if you're an attorney reading this, I need some help with my forms please)Trying to build solid systems early instead of winging it.For those who’ve inherited older, long-term tenants:What’s your preferred approach for adjusting rent in a respectful, trust-preserving way?

Bells and whistles are nice, but STR success starts with stellar customer service.

That was enlightening information as his customer relations department has refused to provide any yardstick or timeline on redemption progress. 

Similar to rent roll, write down any and all questions you have on the T12 financial statements and the individual line item income & expense trends contained therein.