Guides
The books, the chart of accounts, and the numbers (NOI, cash flow, cash-on-cash) that tell you the truth.
Start here · 8 min read
The five-habit bookkeeping system for a 1-10 unit portfolio, carried through one example duplex and single-family from first transaction to filed Schedule E.
Guide · 7 min read
A repeatable first-of-the-month routine: reconcile rent, log expenses, check renewals, glance at cash flow.
Guide · 8 min read
Why capital costs never touch NOI, the same duplex underwritten both ways, and a per-door reserve number you can defend.
The formula, an honest duplex worked two ways, and why the same building lands at 12.3% or 6.0% depending on which lines you respect.
The deduction turns on one question: is your rental activity a trade or business? The test, the simplified math, and where it goes on Schedule E.
For most landlords the drive from home to the rental is commuting. Here is what counts, the 2026 rate worked, and the log an auditor accepts.
One hypothetical duplex run through NOI, pre-tax cash flow, and taxable income, line by line, so you stop swapping the three numbers mid-sentence.
Template · 5 min read
A free landlord chart of accounts where every account is mapped to the exact Schedule E line it lands on, so the year-end return falls out.
Guide · 9 min read
When the law actually requires a separate account, what commingling costs at an audit, and how to separate mid-year in about 30 minutes.
All guides · written by a landlord, not a marketing team.