A good place to start your search for a landlord attorney in the Durham area is martindale.comIt’s a long-standing legal directory where you can find attorneys by location and practice area.

We also routinely host TK and PM companies here in Memphis who want to learn best practices.  

Reasonable practice lengths.

Here’s the tight, practical version.New FinCEN Reporting Rule — What You Need to KnowIf a residential property (including residential lots) is purchased:By an entity (LLC, corporation, partnership, or certain trusts), andWithout traditional financing (cash, private money, some hard-money deals),a FinCEN report is mandatory.No report = no funds released at closing.How to stay compliantDisclose entity purchases at contract, not the week of closingHave ownership and control info ready upfront (generally 25%+ owners and entity signers)Expect additional paperwork on cash and investor dealsCoordinate early with your title company or closing attorneyOfficial guidance from FinCEN:https://www.fincen.gov/rreFor a visual walkthrough of what this looks like and why it matters, here’s a great explainer for visual learners:https://youtu.be/509Xqze7gDw?

Instead, a few practical paths to consider: look at portfolio lenders or local banks/credit unions that will cross-collateralize or offer better pricing once you bring them multiple clean duplexes; selectively refinance older low-rate properties to recycle some equity while keeping DSCR conservative; or bring in limited capital partners for a few deals so you can keep 20% down and scale faster without blowing up returns.

If you can reinvest that cash into another profitable deal, the gains could far outweigh the added costs.My Practical Advice:Start by trying for the DSCR loan in your dad's name.

Being new to the landlord/tenant business you will need to learn the laws and acceptable practices of your community. 

While no data source is perfect, platforms designed specifically for property intelligence tend to be far more accurate and practical for one-off investment research than general background-check subscriptions.

If circumstances change, we can revisit.”That is different from discrimination and is generally enforceable if aligned with your lease and applied consistently.Best practice going forward:Require written housing authority approval firstRequire adult occupant addendumRequire clear lease language on additional occupantsNever allow someone to move in “temporarily” without paperworkThis isn’t about being anti-tenant.

When Wyoming LLCs do make senseA Wyoming LLC can be useful if:You’re holding out-of-state assetsYou want a holding company above multiple operating LLCsYou’re structuring larger portfolios and working with a CPA + attorneyPrivacy is a legitimate concern (not a tax strategy)Practical takeaway:For most investors starting or operating in New Jersey:A New Jersey LLC is simpler, cheaper, and cleanerAdd umbrella insurance and proper bookkeepingRevisit multi-entity or holding company structures after you scaleBefore setting anything up, it’s worth a 30-minute call with a CPA or attorney who works specifically with NJ real estate investors—not a generic online LLC service.Hope this helps clarify things 👍