But the renovations (which included a second story and a new roof) triggered a full reassessment of their home’s value, from $650K to over $4.4M based on surrounding sales, not the cost of construction.Here’s what made it worse:A neighboring property sold for $4.9M—all cash—right before their reassessment.All-cash buyers have flooded the market in their ZIP code (62% of transactions in 2023), driving up comps and pushing appraisals higher.Even though they appealed, the county cited Florida law: substantial improvements = new construction = full market reassessment.This isn’t just a sob story, it’s a wake-up call for investors and homeowners.Key Takeaways:Renovations can backfire if you're not careful with how improvements affect property tax laws in your state.All-cash buyers can unintentionally raise your comps—and your tax burden—overnight.Don’t assume local protections will stay in place if you “work around” them—confirm everything in writing before starting.Talk to local appraisers, attorneys, and tax consultants before making major changes to homesteaded or long-held properties.This couple now faces losing the home they’ve loved for over 20 years—not because they overleveraged, but because the system wasn’t built for people trying to stay put.Would love to hear from others:Have you seen property tax surprises like this?

The fence was leaning all over the place, there was garbage filled 4 ft deep in the air vents, and normal maintenance on almost anything was never done.The neighbors next door were disliked by the whole neighborhood for causing problems.

While my focus is in San Antonio, my brother-in-law is one of the top agents in Houston and a fantastic resource with deep local insight.

A great way to get a feel for start-up costs is to get the paid version of ChatGPT, use the deep search feature, and try a prompt such as "How much does it cost to furnish a 2-bedroom 1-bathroom home for short-term rentals in Minneapolis, MN?"

There is a company called Invest With Roots based in Atlanta where all of your funds go to residential properties. 

how is this deeply discounted   25k plus 30k rehab if you can do it for 30k = 55k  value 60k that is in the deep HOOD.. this is only for a local who knows how to handle hood properties. full stop.

Again, I would look at what the current seller is paying for insurance before I got too deep on a particular property. 

I’ve been diving deep into skiptracing and wanted to hear from YOU about which services are really delivering the goods.

If anyone wants that kind of deep analysis please let me know; it will take a bit of time and there needs to be enough demand to be worth it.Anyway, that's pretty much all I have to contribute to the gentrification discussion. 

-Currently deep in learning underwriting I’m here because I truly need guidance.