You can only DIY cosmetic things, like floors, countertops, windows, etc...

Its easy to forget things like sewer which is often provided by the a government entity and where unpaid becomes a lien.

Don't forget the rosey numbers used by Wholesalers 🤣

I see cabins that look incredible in photos but struggle to perform once they go live.They have the dramatic windows, the statement lighting, the designer furniture.

What are the terms for getting a loan for buying land

In older buildings things like cast iron sewer, boiler conversion options, old windows, lead paint, etc should also be considered. 

This is one of those “boring” posts that saves people real money.Most landlords focus on rent increases and forget that lease compliance risk is just as expensive as vacancy.A few things worth emphasizing for Chicago operators:Annual lease updates are risk management, not paperworkChicago and Illinois tenant law changes constantly.

I’m also a licensed contractor, so a lot of my focus sits at the intersection of acquisition, renovation, and operations.Lately that’s meant spending a lot of time on STR demand, pricing, and execution …not just what looks good on paper, but what actually holds up after hundreds of stays.We share a monthly STR market snapshot with real demand data, pricing pressure, and upcoming risk/opportunity windows.

Couldn’t agree more with this, especially for anyone running rentals in cold-weather or slow-season markets.A lot of newer landlords forget that pricing is a speed lever, not a bragging right.

One thing that saved me headaches: check the actual booking windows, not just average rates.