Only rehab what actually impacts safety, rentability, and longevity.You’re not building your dream home.You’re building a durable asset that prints income for years.Rising rehab prices don’t ruin your business, loose systems do.When your operation is standardized, disciplined, and math-driven, profitability is a function of process, not price swings.Where are rehab costs hurting your margins the most right now?

Unit Sizes Are Growing — Especially One-BedroomsAfter years of shrinking unit sizes, 2025 marked a clear reversal.The average new apartment size increased to 908 square feetStudios and one-bedroom units experienced the largest size gainsOne-bedrooms made up nearly 50% of all new constructionThree-bedroom units, however, continued to shrink slightlyThis shift reflects renter priorities: flexibility for work-from-home setups, lifestyle comfort, and better value for rent.

That place needed work before it could even function as a rental.

Buy a slightly ugly but functional property.

I can't speak to the entire country, but you're in VA, and I've seen quite a bit of rent-to-own in VA Beach, so this may help: For the demographic you’re thinking about — younger buyers with decent income but affordability challenges — I've seen them participate in programs like shared equity or down-payment assistance more so than rent-to-own for a few reasons: Traditional rent-to-own operates in a different corner of the market than the one you’re focused on.In many areas, like VA Beach, rent-to-own tends to show up with older, more distressed homes that wouldn’t function well as traditional rentals.

. - What's the ONE most important task you can accomplish during your day that has the largest impact?

Examples include:Running emergency notification systems or call treesVerifying contact information for staff and residentsConfirming backup power and life-safety systems function properlySimulationsSimulations bring people together to practice responding to realistic scenarios, such as hurricanes, fires, tornadoes, or prolonged power outages.

Jackson is street specific  U dont have to give the exact address just post the streets and I can give you feedback.I was the largest flix and flip private lender in Jackson for years and owned over 200 SFRs there as well. 

And actually where some of the largest investors came in, too.

Credits can cover points and a lot of the transactional friction that usually eats into your reserves.For anyone trying to stack doors in 2026 without draining their liquidity, this structure is surprisingly efficient.2) DSCR HELOCs (yes — on rental properties, even in an LLC)This is the one that’s turning a lot of heads.It functions like a true HELOC, but under DSCR guidelines:Up to 70% CLTVNo seasoningNo prepayment penaltiesInterest-only revolving lineApproval based on rents — not personal income or DTIBeing able to tap equity on rentals without refinancing the first mortgage has been a huge lever for investors trying to expand faster.If anyone wants to compare notes or talk through how these structures might fit into different portfolio strategies, feel free to reach out or drop a comment.