Moving from base to base, I've been forced into renovations of previous homes (cough "pipe burst flooding") and currently helping with my mom's renovations in my childhood home.

My friend (the mom) does not want to move to NY, so now she sold her old house, gave up her social network and now lives alone in a city she does not know anyone.

Strategy this month: price inside the comp band, tighten screening, and use small concessions when availability surges.1) National Snapshot (from your state & city panels)DOM rose MoM in many supply-heavy metros: Boston 140 (+32%), Raleigh 57 (+19%), Seattle 42 (+14%), Sacramento 45 (+13%), Denver 49 (+11%), San Francisco 68 (+11%), Dallas 81 (+5%).Availability is up YoY across several Sun Belt hubs, shifting leverage toward renters: Miami 7,647 vs 5,404 YoY, Houston 10,453 vs 6,822, San Antonio 6,422 vs 4,849.Still-fast: Cheyenne (27 DOM), Minneapolis (32), Kansas City (43), Sacramento (45), Portland (45).Prices mixed: modest MoM softness in several markets; YoY trends vary by city/class.2) How to beat the slowdown Smart pricing & listing feedback → avoid overpricing stalls.

That said, there’s a reason almost every successful business (from Google to the mom-and-pop shop) are incorporated.  

-Even though my fiancée would own the original property, we would continue paying her mom the rental income from it.

Traditionally, they are for properties that need renovation, with 6 to 24-month terms, primarily based on the property and the ARV, with a secondary focus on borrower qualifications.Some argue that hard money lenders are licensed professionals, while private money lenders are like your mom or dentist who lend their own money.

"But mom, everyone was doing it!"

. 📍 Full State-by-Market Breakdown (Sept 5, 2025)AlabamaAll – Rent: $1486, MoM Rent: ▼ 0.6 %, DOM: 55, MoM DOM: ▲ 3.8 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 20%AlaskaAll – Rent: $2000, MoM Rent: ▲ 2.7 %, DOM: 40, MoM DOM: ▼ 4.8 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 21%ArizonaPhoenix – Rent: $1900, MoM Rent: ▼ 2.1 %, DOM: 52, MoM DOM: ▲ 6.1 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 6%ArkansasAll – Rent: $1400, MoM Rent: – 0.0 %, DOM: 50, MoM DOM: ▲ 6.4 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 22%CaliforniaLos Angeles – Rent: $2795, MoM Rent: – 0.0 %, DOM: 60, MoM DOM: ▲ 5.3 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 3%Oakland – Rent: $2300, MoM Rent: – 0.0 %, DOM: 53, MoM DOM: ▲ 6.0 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 13%Sacramento – Rent: $1995, MoM Rent: ▲ 2.3 %, DOM: 40, MoM DOM: ▲ 5.3 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 21%San Diego – Rent: $3100, MoM Rent: – 0.0 %, DOM: 54, MoM DOM: ▲ 3.8 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 32%San Francisco – Rent: $3650, MoM Rent: ▲ 4.3 %, DOM: 61, MoM DOM: ▲ 1.7 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 27%San Jose – Rent: $3200, MoM Rent: ▼ 1.5 %, DOM: 50, MoM DOM: ▲ 16.3 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 52%ColoradoDenver – Rent: $2185, MoM Rent: ▼ 2.9 %, DOM: 44, MoM DOM: ▲ 7.3 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 19%ConnecticutNew Haven – Rent: $1850, MoM Rent: ▲ 32.6 %, DOM: 65, MoM DOM: ▲ 282.4 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 44%DCDC – Rent: $2500, MoM Rent: – 0.0 %, DOM: 59, MoM DOM: ▲ 9.3 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 11%DelawareAll – Rent: $1995, MoM Rent: ▼ 0.3 %, DOM: 48, MoM DOM: ▲ 4.3 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 30%FloridaJacksonville – Rent: $1650, MoM Rent: ▼ 0.4 %, DOM: 53, MoM DOM: ▲ 6.0 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 23%Miami – Rent: $3200, MoM Rent: ▼ 1.5 %, DOM: 50, MoM DOM: ▼ 5.7 %, YoY DOM: ▼ 7%Orlando – Rent: $2000, MoM Rent: – 0.0 %, DOM: 48, MoM DOM: ▲ 6.7 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 20%Tampa – Rent: $2150, MoM Rent: ▼ 2.2 %, DOM: 52, MoM DOM: ▲ 10.6 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 11%GeorgiaAtlanta – Rent: $2100, MoM Rent: – 0.0 %, DOM: 73, MoM DOM: ▲ 2.8 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 22%HawaiiAll – Rent: $3125, MoM Rent: ▼ 0.3 %, DOM: 103, MoM DOM: ▲ 2.0 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 26%IdahoAll – Rent: $1825, MoM Rent: ▲ 1.9 %, DOM: 37, MoM DOM: ▲ 0.0 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 9%IllinoisChicago – Rent: $2000, MoM Rent: – 0.0 %, DOM: 47, MoM DOM: ▼ 4.1 %, YoY DOM: ▼ 2%IndianaIndianapolis – Rent: $1532, MoM Rent: ▲ 2.1 %, DOM: 50, MoM DOM: ▲ 6.4 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 22%IowaAll – Rent: $1145, MoM Rent: ▼ 0.4 %, DOM: 45, MoM DOM: ▼ 2.2 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 13%KansasAll – Rent: $1395, MoM Rent: – 0.0 %, DOM: 44, MoM DOM: ▲ 2.3 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 13%KentuckyLouisville – Rent: $1299, MoM Rent: ▲ 1.9 %, DOM: 56, MoM DOM: ▲ 3.7 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 27%LouisianaNew Orleans – Rent: $1795, MoM Rent: ▲ 2.6 %, DOM: 61, MoM DOM: ▲ 10.9 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 7%MaineAll – Rent: $2000, MoM Rent: – 0.0 %, DOM: 52, MoM DOM: ▲ 6.1 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 21%MarylandBaltimore – Rent: $1650, MoM Rent: – 0.0 %, DOM: 79, MoM DOM: ▲ 8.2 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 41%MassachusettsBoston – Rent: $3300, MoM Rent: ▼ 1.5 %, DOM: 140, MoM DOM: ▲ 32.1 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 47%MichiganDetroit – Rent: $1200, MoM Rent: – 0.0 %, DOM: 66, MoM DOM: ▲ 6.5 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 16%MinnesotaMinneapolis – Rent: $1557, MoM Rent: ▲ 0.1 %, DOM: 47, MoM DOM: ▼ 4.1 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 0%MississippiAll – Rent: $1500, MoM Rent: – 0.0 %, DOM: 53, MoM DOM: ▲ 0.0 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 8%MissouriKansas City – Rent: $1395, MoM Rent: ▲ 0.4 %, DOM: 46, MoM DOM: ▲ 2.2 %, YoY DOM: ▲ 7%St.

Many of these small mom and pop places offer 3 bedrooms, a basement, private quarters, and other things that seem to be more popular in Buffalo than other cities.  

That part usually gets skipped over on podcasts because it sounds a lot cooler to say that you raised private money than it does to say that mom and dad or your rich uncle gave you money.