I'd prioritize learning over earning at this stage.

Take control by testing the market fast: drop price into a clear range, loosen noncritical criteria, and widen your tenant pool while keeping safety and income verification tight.

LLCs become more useful as the portfolio grows or when using DSCR/commercial loans that allow entity borrowing; until then, prioritize getting the first deal closed and cash flowing.

As you begin diving into the world of real estate investing and start laying the groundwork for your strategy, one of the most important steps you can take early on is to prioritize both tax planning and asset protection.

Fellow landlords — how do you balance speed and safety when screening tenants?

Because depreciation recapture will be ugly for you especially.But with a loan that is still 1.5% lower than anything you'll see in the market in the short term I would think long and hard about selling or paying off the loan.Why not take the $265K and either1. put it into a HYSA if security and safety are an issue. 

@Shea Prior, It can't feel good having that house sit unoccupied.

It wasn’t the kind of deal most investors would touch, but I saw the potential to turn it into a certified sober living home.Over about two years, we renovated the property from top to bottom with safety upgrades, new layouts, and durable finishes designed for shared living.

I've prioritized those with the deepest cuts, which correlate with oversupply.BuilderKey Incentives & DiscountsCommunities/AreasExample Deals (as of Oct 2025)Why They Seem DesperateLennarUp to 13.3% of final sale price back as flex cash (e.g., $65,000+ on a $500,000 home); can cover down payment, closing costs, rate buydowns, or upgrades.

JuliePossibly the city’s own portal: Memphis Police Department Incident Data – The “Public Safety Incidents” dataset on the Memphis Data Hub gives real-time incident data by area.orCrimeMapping.comneighborhoodscout.com--John AnnunziataReal360