Real estate investing guides for small landlords

Start here · 7 min read

How to buy your first rental property: a step by step guide for self-managers

One realistic first deal walked end to end, with the down payment, closing costs, reserves, and underwriting a self-manager actually lives with.

Buying a rental

First purchases and the situations around them: out of state, with tenants, with a partner.

Guide · 9 min read
Buying rental property out of state: how self-managers make it work
The honest version: when remote self-management works, how to pick the market by the numbers, and the local cost stack to underwrite first.
Guide · 8 min read
Buying a rental property with a partner: structures, splits, and exit plans
Structures, the 50/50 splits that actually work, capital calls, buyouts, and the tax filing reality for two people buying one rental.
Guide · 8 min read
Buying a rental property with tenants in place: a due diligence checklist
What to read before you close on an occupied rental: the leases, estoppel certificates, payment history, and the deposit transfer on the settlement statement.
Guide · 10 min read
Closing costs on investment property: every line item and its tax treatment
Sort every settlement-statement line into deduct now, amortize over the loan, or add to basis, with the depreciation consequence of each.
Guide · 8 min read
How much down payment do you need for an investment property
The agency floors (15% on one unit, 25% on 2-4), the reserves nobody mentions, and how 15, 20, and 25 percent down change your return.
Guide · 9 min read
Inspecting a rental property before you buy: what matters, what it costs, and what can wait
An investor-grade inspection framework: read remaining component life as future capex, turn findings into reserves and a smarter offer.
Guide · 10 min read
Turnkey rental properties: what you pay for convenience and when it's worth it
A buyer-side look at the turnkey premium: what “done” really costs in return, how to audit the pro forma, and the patterns that should stop you.

Deal analysis

The screens and metrics that separate a deal from a story.

Financing

Conventional, DSCR, HELOCs, refis - the debt side, worked out.

Strategy & protection

Scaling, structures, insurance, and knowing when to sell.

All guides · written by a landlord, not a marketing team.

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How to buy your first rental property: a step by step guide for self-managers

Buying a rental

Buying rental property out of state: how self-managers make it work

Buying a rental property with a partner: structures, splits, and exit plans

Buying a rental property with tenants in place: a due diligence checklist

Closing costs on investment property: every line item and its tax treatment

How much down payment do you need for an investment property

Inspecting a rental property before you buy: what matters, what it costs, and what can wait

Turnkey rental properties: what you pay for convenience and when it's worth it

Deal analysis

The 1% rule for rental property: does it still work in today's market

The 50% rule in real estate: what it gets right and where it breaks

Gross rent multiplier: what GRM tells you and what it hides

How to analyze a rental property deal: a complete worked example

How to find rent comps and estimate rent before you buy

IRR vs cash on cash: choosing a return metric for buy and hold

Operating expense ratio: what it really costs to run a rental

Price-to-rent ratio: how to read a metro before you buy in it

Pro forma vs actuals: underwriting past the seller's numbers

How to analyze a rental market: population, jobs, and rent growth

Vacancy rate math: physical vs economic vacancy for small landlords

Financing

Cash-out refinance on a rental property: LTV limits, seasoning, and what it costs

Conventional vs DSCR vs portfolio loans for rental properties

DSCR loans and debt service coverage ratio, explained

Using a HELOC to buy a rental property: the math that has to work

Why investment property mortgage rates are higher than your home loan

How lenders count rental income when you apply for your next mortgage

How to finance a rental property: a guide for 1-10 unit landlords

Seller financing basics for rental property buyers

Mortgage interest on a rental: tracking interest, principal, and escrow correctly

Strategy & protection

Cash reserves for rental properties: how much to hold per door

Does the BRRRR method still work? An honest assessment with real numbers

House hacking: financing, real numbers, and the tax split

How many rental properties do you need to retire?

LLC for rental property: one LLC or one per property?

Putting a mortgaged rental into an LLC: the due-on-sale clause explained

How to build and protect a rental property portfolio (1 to 10 units)

Renting to college students: a landlord's guide

How to scale from 1 to 10 rental properties

Section 8 for landlords: an honest assessment

Umbrella insurance vs an LLC for your rental property

What landlord insurance covers, what it costs, and what it leaves out

When to sell a rental property: a return-on-equity framework