I'm willing to make a short term sacrifice to better secure my family in the long run.

Typical buckets:Income: Rent, late fees, laundry/otherOperating: repairs & maintenance, utilities, insurance, HOA, supplies, advertising, legal/pro fees, bank feesTurnover: cleaning, paint, small replacementsCapEx (capital improvements): roof, HVAC, major appliances, renovations (track separately)Liabilities: security deposits (not income)Auto: mileage (or actuals) + tolls/parking if applicable5) Year-end handoff to your CPA becomes stupid-easyGive them:P&L by propertyBalance sheet (including security deposit liability)CapEx list (date, vendor, amount, what it was)Mileage total + method1099 info if relevant (vendors)PM statements (if applicable)If you want this to feel effortless, the best move is using banking that’s designed for rentals: separate accounts by property, clean transaction feeds, and bookkeeping/reporting that’s “landlord-native.”That’s why I like Baselane for this exact question: it’s banking built for real estate investors, so the workflow above becomes the default instead of a constant discipline test.Full transparency: Baselane is a BiggerPockets partner, but even if they weren’t, the “banking-first bookkeeping” approach is still the right answer for landlords who want clean books without living in spreadsheets.

If you are selling multiple properties at once, especially as a package, I would ask each agent you interview about a lower fee, given the situation.

When I go into a market I dont know I will hire a local Civil that has done plats and pay them 2k to 5k for a due diligence package..

Yes — you can and should challenge this, but how you do it matters.The biggest issue here isn’t just the appraiser — it’s process and representation.On small multifamily, values swing wildly depending on:Which comps are selectedHow income is underwrittenWhether the appraiser understands investor-driven assetsThis is where working with a lender that specializes in investment properties becomes critical.An experienced investment lender will:Be in direct communication with the AMC (not just the appraiser)Provide a value report / comp package before or alongside the appraisalHighlight better comps (same block, same unit mix, higher rents, recent rehabs)Point out factual errors in rent assumptions, expense ratios, or cap rate selectionFormally request a Reconsideration of Value (ROV) using data the AMC will actually acceptYou typically can’t just “reject” an appraisal, but you absolutely can:Request an ROV with strong supporting compsEscalate through the AMC if the appraiser ignored obvious market dataIn some cases, order a new appraisal if the lender/AMC agrees there were material issuesGiven that:You have identical buildings one block awayWith higher rents and completed rehabsAnd prior appraisals significantly higherThis is a textbook case for an ROV — if it’s packaged correctly.One caution: pushing this without lender support often goes nowhere.

Originally I was also hoping to find a package that would do more of the property management basics for me, like running ads, screening tenants, collecting rent, collecting e-signatures, etc.What I found after months of looking is that there is no one-size-fits-all platform out there.

Acting decisively and presenting clear terms helped secure the property at a price that aligned with the renovation plan.How did you finance this deal?

For the investor, that meant holding costs piling up fast.Here’s how we resolved it:Got on-site immediately to document status and secure the property.Started calling vetted backup contractors to step in for plumbing and electrical.Negotiated with the GC to either replace the missing subs or risk losing the contract.Within a week, new crews were in place, and we recovered most of the lost time in the schedule.It wasn’t pretty, but it kept the project moving and prevented a major blow to the investor’s budget and timeline. 

I plan to give it facelift (painting, lighting, security, branding).

He asked if I would be interested in buying a package deal of homes and maybe some of his commercial stuff.