I’m based in Philadelphia, so bonus points if you have local experience!

I’ve noticed many newer investors struggle when it comes to matching the right loan type to the project.Would anyone find it helpful if I shared a few examples of how experienced investors structure their fix & flip or rental loans to keep cash flow strong?

Know What You Can DeductIf your Airbnb is classified as an active business, you can deduct almost every ordinary and necessary expense tied to running it.Here’s a quick list of deductions most hosts miss:Cleaning, supplies, and guest amenities Repairs and maintenance Property management feesUtilities, Wi-Fi, and streaming subscriptionsAdvertising, software, and booking platform feesTravel to and from your property (yes, mileage counts)Home security systems and smart devicesProfessional fees — CPA, attorney, consultingDepreciation on the building and furnishingsPro tip: If purchased after January 19, 2025, you can take advantage of the return of 100% bonus depreciation under the One Big Beautiful Bill.

Bonus points if they’re comfortable working with investors.

Larger properties allow cost segregation and bonus depreciation, offering major tax deductions.

Lead with a simple credibility stack: be clear about your buy box and pricing logic, share a one‑page deal sheet on every trade (collateral, payor history, servicer notes, exit plan), and match your promises to your updates.

For your first flip, match funding to the project’s risk and timeline: line up a hard money or private lender that funds purchase plus rehab draws, verify rate, points, LTC/LTV, draw process, and prepay penalties, and have a clear exit with multiple outs (sell, wholetail, or pivot to DSCR if days-on-market stretch).

For the life of me, I do not understand why borrowers reward lenders who intilaly tried to make a mint off the borrower but then when "match" what another lender offers.

it is 100% bonus deprecation after 1/19/25, otherwise 60%.

As a broker, my biggest pet peeves are hard money lenders circumventing to my clients, not being upfront about fees, asking for a commitment fee prior to issuing loan docs, and "matching" my broker fees, even though I underwrote the file, got the client, and did all of the processing work.