🎉 Building a reliable network of real estate attorneys is one of the smartest early moves you can make.A few strategies that have worked well for me and others in the industry:Start local: Attend County or regional real estate investor meetups, title company events, and REBAR-style networking sessions — attorneys who specialize in real estate often sponsor or attend these.Leverage your existing deals: Ask your closing/title partners which attorneys they see handle smooth, on-time transactions — those are often the most “brokerage-friendly” firms.Collaborate through education: Hosting a short legal Q&A or workshop for your agents or clients is a great way to test chemistry and see how an attorney communicates under real conditions.Join professional groups: In New Jersey, look into the NJ Realtors® Legal Resource Network and local landlord/real estate investment associations (e.g., South Jersey REIA, Garden State REIA).

Use a HELOC or business LOC as your swing account to front earnest money, draws, and quick closings, then sweep sale proceeds to zero it so utilization stays low and your next refi underwrites clean.

The bad news is, they still technically own the panels until it’s paid off, so you can’t sell the home with “clean title” while it’s hanging out on record.So yes — a negotiated payoff is your best play.

Also align leverage to risk instead of one-size caps, and reward clean execution with lighter docs and quicker draws on the next deal.

Track touches, follow up like clockwork, and make quick, clean offers with inspection outs.

Regular inspections and scheduled maintenance (like cleaning gutters, checking smoke detectors, and servicing HVAC) protect your investment.Treating it like a hobby, not a businessTrack income, expenses, and receipts properly.

Consistent execution plus clean reporting is what earns better money.

You could require the tenant to use the dump station on a regular schedule and include language about keeping the property clean.

I’ve been refining my setup, cleaning team, and pricing using Lodgify and PriceLabs.Curious what others think about my numbers and setup — cash flow is around $1,500/month with consistent bookings.

The key person is a great cleaner/cleaning company who is willing to do non-cleaning tasks for your property.