In This Article

This article is presented by NREIG.

Winter has a way of exposing every weakness in a rental property. 

The first deep freeze can turn a hairline pipe crack into a flooded basement. One unshoveled walkway can become a slip and fall dispute. A furnace that worked “just fine” in October can suddenly fail the moment temperatures drop into the teens. And when these issues hit, you’re looking at liability exposure, frustrated tenants, and preventable property damage. 

That’s why smart landlords treat winter like the high-stakes season it is. The risks are predictable. The solutions are straightforward. But clarity is everything. When you assign winter responsibilities clearly, before the first snowflake, you drastically reduce emergencies, misunderstandings, and costly claims.

Winter is one of the top seasons for insurance claims. Partners like National Real Estate Insurance Group (NREIG) help landlords stay protected when the unexpected happens, even when you’ve done everything right.

Let’s break down the biggest cold-weather threats to your property, why these risks spiral when lease language is unclear, and how to structure winter responsibilities so you and your tenants stay aligned from day one. 

Winter may be unavoidable, but winter damage doesn’t have to be. Let’s get ahead of it.

The Biggest Winter Risks Landlords Face

Winter exposes weaknesses in a rental property faster than any other season. Even well-maintained homes can experience failures when temperatures swing, snow loads increase, and moisture builds in hidden places. Understanding these risks in detail is the first step to preventing midwinter emergencies, insurance claims, and tenant disputes.

Frozen and burst pipes

When temperatures plummet, water inside pipes can freeze and expand, causing cracks or catastrophic ruptures. A single burst pipe can release hundreds of gallons of water in minutes, damaging drywall, flooring, electrical systems, and tenant belongings. 

These events often trace back to simple oversights like a tenant turning the thermostat too low, a drafty crawlspace left uninsulated, or an outdoor spigot not winterized properly.

Frozen pipes also tend to trigger disputes about responsibility. Tenants may blame the property, while landlords suspect improper thermostat settings or failure to drip faucets. Without clear winter expectations in the lease, determining fault becomes messy, fast.

Ice dams and roof damage

Ice dams form when heat from the home melts roof snow unevenly. The meltwater refreezes at the edges, trapping water behind it. That water can then seep under shingles, causing leaks, ceiling stains, mold, and insulation damage. Landlords often don’t realize there’s a problem until tenants report water spots, and by then, repairs can be extensive.

Roofs also bear extra weight in winter. Heavy snow accumulation can strain older structures, loosen shingles, damage gutters, and set the stage for leaks during the thaw.

Slick walkways, stairs, and driveways

Slip-and-fall incidents spike during winter. Even a thin layer of ice can send someone to the ER. Landlords risk liability if walkways, stairs, and driveways aren’t addressed promptly, and tenants may assume the owner is responsible unless the lease explicitly states otherwise.

Regular clearing of snow and ice is critical, but problems arise when expectations aren’t communicated clearly, or when a tenant believes “minor ice” isn’t worth reporting.

Heating system failures

A broken furnace in winter is both inconvenient and a habitability issue that can force tenants into hotels, damage your property, and trigger rent credits or claims. Heating systems work harder in extreme cold, so worn parts, dirty filters, or overdue maintenance can lead to sudden failure.

Inconsistent heating also increases pipe-freeze risk and pushes tenants toward unsafe temporary solutions like ovens or portable heaters.

Space heater fire risks

Space heaters cause thousands of residential fires each year, many of them in rentals. Tenants often place them too close to bedding or curtains, plug them into overloaded power strips, or leave them running unattended. Without clear rules and education, landlords may face fire, smoke, and liability fallout.

Outdoor fixtures and drainage

Unwinterized hoses and spigots can freeze and burst. Clogged gutters and downspouts create ice dams. Poor drainage causes meltwater to pool near foundations, leading to seepage or basement leaks.

Each issue is predictable and preventable when both landlords and tenants know exactly what to do and when. That’s why the next section digs into why clarity in the lease is the most powerful winter-proofing tool you have.

Why Winter Responsibilities Must Be Crystal Clear in the Lease

Winter issues can cause property damage and create confusion when the lease isn’t specific about winterization responsibility. When a pipe freezes, a walkway ices over, or a furnace stops working, tenants and landlords often have completely different assumptions about who should have prevented the problem, and who must fix it now. And that confusion turns into dollars lost—fast.

At its core, unclear winter responsibilities open the door to three major risks: disputes, liability exposure, and preventable losses.

Clear responsibilities prevent costly losses

Winter property damage is expensive, but most common issues are preventable with the right actions: dripping faucets, clearing gutters, insulating exposed pipes, and reporting heating issues immediately. The problem is that tenants don’t automatically know they’re supposed to do these things.

When the lease clearly outlines winter expectations and those expectations are communicated early, problems are resolved quickly, before they turn into emergencies. A well-written lease protects both landlords and tenants, so keep winter specifics in mind when drafting your lease. 

What Winter Responsibilities Should Actually Look Like

Once you understand why winter duties must be clearly defined, the next step is translating those expectations into practical, actionable responsibilities. The goal is to eliminate any guesswork about who is responsible for what and when.

Tenant Responsibilities: Daily and Weekly Winter Tasks

Tenants play a key role in preventing winter damage, but they can only do so effectively when their responsibilities are spelled out in the lease.

Snow and ice removal

Tenants should be responsible for clearing snow and applying ice melt on walkways, steps, driveways, porches, and any areas they use regularly. This reduces slip-and-fall risk and keeps access points safe.

Thermostat minimums

A clear minimum temperature, often 55 to 60 degrees, prevents pipes from freezing. Tenants must understand that turning the heat off to “save money” can lead to thousands in damage.

Dripping faucets and cabinet access

During extreme cold, tenants may be required to drip faucets and open cabinet doors to allow warm air around pipes. These small steps can prevent major plumbing failures.

Prompt reporting of issues

Tenants should immediately report:

• No heat or inconsistent heating
• Slow drains or signs of pipe freezing
• Roof leaks or ceiling spots
• Ice buildup around gutters or walkways

A simple delay in reporting can magnify losses dramatically.

Safe use of space heaters

If space heaters are allowed, tenants should follow strict rules: Keep them away from flammable materials, avoid power strips, and never leave them unattended.

Landlord Responsibilities: Structural and Seasonal Preparation

Landlords must handle the tasks that protect the property’s infrastructure, especially the systems tenants cannot safely access or maintain. Fireplace maintenance?

System maintenance and inspections

Seasonal furnace inspections, filter changes, and identifying weak points in the HVAC system help prevent midwinter failures.

Insulating vulnerable areas

This includes crawlspaces, attics, basements, exterior walls, and any exposed piping.

Gutter and downspout clearing

Removing fall debris reduces the risk of ice dams and roof leaks during freeze-thaw cycles.

Winterizing outdoor fixtures

Disconnect hoses, shut off exterior spigots, cover exposed fixtures, and ensure proper drainage away from the foundation.

How to Document These Tasks Clearly

A strong lease spells out responsibilities in plain language. Create a winter addendum or dedicated section that includes:

• Exact temperature requirements
• Snow and ice removal details
• Clear timelines for reporting problems
• Specific safety expectations (space heaters, plumbing steps, etc.)

Communication is key

Even with a solid lease, reminders matter. Sending tenants a winter checklist or early-season email reinforces expectations and helps keep everyone aligned. With responsibilities clearly divided and documented, both landlord and tenant are equipped to keep winter from becoming a season of emergencies. 

How to Conduct Mid-Season Inspections

A mid-season inspection is your next best tool for catching winter-related issues before they escalate. By the time January or February arrives, your property has already endured weeks of freezing temperatures, fluctuating weather patterns, and increased system strain. A quick check-in can uncover small issues before they evolve into expensive emergencies.

Additionally, a quick check-in also reinforces accountability. When tenants see that you’re monitoring the property’s condition, they’re more likely to report issues promptly and follow winter responsibilities outlined in the lease.

What to look for during the inspection

A thorough mid-season walkthrough should include:

• Heating performance: Is the furnace cycling normally? Are there cold spots or signs it’s struggling? Insulation still in place?
• Frozen pipe indicators: Check under sinks, in basements, and in crawlspaces for condensation, frost, or slowed water flow.
• Roof and gutter areas: Look for ice buildup, icicles, blocked downspouts, or ceiling discoloration inside.
• Drainage concerns: This includes meltwater pooling near the foundation or improperly directed downspouts.
• Exterior walkways and stairs: Ongoing slick spots or areas that tenants aren’t maintaining.

How to communicate findings

After the inspection, send tenants a short, friendly summary, outlining:

• Any issues observed
• What you will be addressing
• What the tenant needs to handle
• A follow-up timeline

This keeps everyone aligned and shows tenants you’re actively protecting the property, and their comfort, from mid-season risks.

How to Protect Yourself This Winter

Even with clear winter responsibilities, diligent tenants, and proactive inspections, winter still has its surprises. Landlords who take winter seriously don’t just rely on good communication and strong lease language—they also make sure they have the right insurance partner in place. Because when something goes wrong in January, the cost of recovery can escalate fast.

This is where National Real Estate Insurance Group (NREIG) becomes such a critical part of your winter strategy. NREIG specializes in protecting real estate investors from exactly the kinds of risks winter brings. Their coverage is built around real-world property challenges like frozen pipe damage, roof leaks from ice dams, slip-and-fall liability, heating system failures, and even tenant-caused issues.

NREIG’s programs also include investor-focused protections like:

• Liability coverage tailored for rental properties
• Property coverage for sudden winter damage events
• Loss of rents support when units become temporarily uninhabitable
• The Tenant Protector Plan®, which adds another layer of protection when tenant negligence contributes to a covered winter loss

Having an insurance partner who understands these seasonal risks means you’re not navigating winter alone or left fighting through claims with a carrier unfamiliar with rental operations.

Winter may always bring uncertainty, but your financial exposure doesn’t have to. The strongest defense is a combination of clear winter responsibilities, proactive maintenance, and investor-focused insurance that steps in when the unexpected happens.

If you want to ensure your rental portfolio is protected against frozen pipes, slip-and-fall claims, fire-related damages, and other cold-weather surprises, now is the time to strengthen your coverage. Take the next step: Review your current policy and get a tailored, investor-focused quote from National Real Estate Insurance Group (NREIG). Their team understands the unique winter risks landlords face, and can help you close coverage gaps before the next storm hits.

Protect your investment with confidence. Start your quote HERE.

In This Article

This article is presented by LegalZoom.

A frequently asked question in online real estate investing threads is, “Should I form an LLC for my rental property?” 

It may seem like setting up an LLC is one more thing to do on a list that can seem so long to a new investor that it’s overwhelming. There’s insurance to research and sort out; there’s the property management company, the rental payments, the accounting…is setting up an LLC really worth it if you’re investing on a small scale, say, into a single unit, at this point? Isn’t it enough to just purchase good insurance?

As a matter of fact, you really, really should set up an LLC for your rental. New investors often don’t realize that buying rental property in their personal name exposes them to lawsuits, tenant claims, and debt collection. An LLC separates personal and business assets, creating a liability firewall. 

Let’s consider all the implications in a bit more detail.

What a Lawsuit Could Mean If the Property Is in Your Name

From a legal perspective, becoming a real estate investor is a higher risk, for the simple reason that you will be dealing with a lot of people and situations that can lead to a lawsuit. The most obvious risk comes from tenants, who could sue you for anything from slipping and falling on an icy driveway (which is your responsibility to maintain) to mold in the bathroom. 

But risks don’t stop with the tenants. The neighbors could sue you for accidental damage to their property (say, a fence) during repair or renovation work on your property. They might even sue you if a new fence (or tree) accidentally crosses the property boundary onto theirs. 

A lawsuit, if it does happen, is always a headache, but if the rental property is in your own name and not under an LLC, you could be looking at a true nightmare. 

The biggest risk of not forming an LLC for your rental investment is exposing your personal assets to claims. If you personally are being sued, you could lose your personal savings and even your own home. Depending on the size of your personal assets, your landlord liability insurance policy may not cover all of it.

Even more unpleasantly, if you happen to go through a divorce, if your real estate property is in your own personal name, it’s considered your personal property and can become part of the divorce settlement, just like the house you share with a spouse.

How LLCs Isolate Rental Risk

These are just some of the potential scenarios in which an investor can suffer because of their failure to separate their business and personal assets. Setting up an LLC does just that: In the eyes of the law, it creates a clear separation between business and personal assets. It’s a metaphorical wall between your personal life and business life. 

If a court determines that you must pay damages, only your business assets would be at stake. Legally, claimants and/or creditors cannot go after your personal assets. 

Say a tenant decided to sue for an accident in your rental unit. If the rental is registered as an LLC, the maximum they could sue you for are the assets held in the LLC (worst-case scenario, that includes the value of the rental property). But they cannot then also go after your personal savings, car, etc. The liability is limited by the size of your business.

This, of course, doesn’t mean that setting up an LLC protects you from the possibility of lawsuits—the meaning of “Limited Liability” is sometimes misunderstood in this way. All it means is that your liability stops at your business assets; the business can still be sued, and, if the claimant has a case, they can win. 

Common Mistakes First-Timers Make

If you have already bought your first investment property (the traditional route with a mortgage, not cash buyer) and are now reading this and thinking, “great! Now I’ll form an LLC!” you need to tread very carefully. 

Forming an LLC after closing on a property technically triggers what’s called the “Due on Sale” clause, where the mortgage lender can demand full loan repayment due on the transfer of ownership. Your lender may not do this, but they certainly can. You should always form an LLC before you close and sign the deeds on the rental property. 

Having said that, there still are ways to incorporate the property into an LLC, but it will need to go through a land trust first. If you already own property and want it to become part of an LLC, you’ll need legal advice first. 

Newbie investors often dislike the administrative work (especially come tax filing time!) of running a separate LLC, so they sometimes incorporate multiple properties into one LLC. This can seem like an efficient way of running things, but it is a mistake from a legal standpoint. If a lawsuit does happen and all your properties are part of the same LLCs, they are now all on the line. You should always isolate the liabilities for multiple properties, incorporating each into its own LLC.

Another common mistake first-timers make with LLCs is that they don’t keep personal and business finances separate. This is known as “piercing the corporate veil” and essentially negates any protection offered by the LLC. If, for example, during a lawsuit, it’s discovered that you were using your LLC bank account for personal expenses, the court can determine that you can still be held personally responsible. 

Finally, holding rental property in an LLC can place restrictions on financing future properties. Fannie Mac and Freddie Mac, for example, will not lend to LLCs, so if you want to finance an investment property through them, you’ll have to do it in your own name. 

Final Thoughts

LLCs are not a panacea, but for most investors, they do offer very real asset protections and are well worth the extra time, paperwork, and small fees involved. 

If you want to make sure your rental investment LLC is set up correctly from the get-go, get in touch with us at LegalZoom. We can help with everything from timing the formation of your LLC to paperwork and any individual complexities of your real estate business.

In This Article

This article is presented by Steadily.

If you’re like most landlords, you probably assume that once you pick a policy and pay your premium, you’re covered. Simple, right? 

Unfortunately, that assumption is exactly how landlords end up blindsided by denied claims, unexpected exclusions, and thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket losses.

Your landlord insurance policy is one of the most important business contracts you’ll ever sign. It determines what’s protected, what isn’t, and how much financial risk you’re actually carrying—long before anything ever goes wrong. 

But these forms are long, technical, and packed with fine print that’s easy to skim past when you’re trying to close on a property or onboard a new rental. According to the insurance experts over at Steadily, many of the most painful surprises come from misunderstandings that could have been caught before signing. 

Think about the most common losses landlords experience: water damage, liability claims, aging roofs, tenant-caused damage, and weather events. Many of these issues are covered… but many others are covered only under certain conditions, or not covered at all. The difference comes down to understanding what’s in your policy before you commit.

Let’s walk through the eight things every landlord should check before signing a policy, so you can avoid costly gaps, spot red flags early, and make smarter decisions for your portfolio.

While every insurer structures things a bit differently, investor-focused providers like Steadily make this process much easier by using clear, landlord-specific language and coverage options built for real-world rental risks.

1. Understand What’s Actually in Your Policy

The first thing you need to understand before signing your policy is what’s actually inside it. This sounds obvious, but most landlords never read past the declarations page, and that’s where costly mistakes begin.

Steadily’s general guidance is that there are seven core components you’ll see in nearly every insurance contract. Knowing how to read each one gives you a massive advantage when comparing quotes or evaluating exclusions.

Declarations page

This is the snapshot of your policy. It lists:

• The property address
• Named insureds (who’s covered)
• Policy period
• Coverage limits
• Deductibles
• Key endorsements

Most landlords stop reading here, but this page only tells you what you think you have, not what you truly have.

Insuring agreement

Think of this as the “promise” section. It outlines:

• What the insurer agrees to cover
• Under what circumstances they’ll pay
• The basic framework for how your protection works

If the declarations page is the summary, the insuring agreement is the foundation.

Definitions

Insurance policies use industry-specific language, and the definitions page is where those terms are spelled out. This matters because:

• A single definition can change the outcome of a claim.
• Terms like “water damage,” “residence premises,” or “vandalism” may not mean what you assume.

These definitions matter, and you need to make sure your definition aligns with those in the contract.

Coverages

This section specifies exactly what losses are covered and under what limits. It’s where you’ll find:

• Dwelling coverage
• Other structures
• Loss of rent
• Personal property (if applicable)

It’s important to read this section carefully so you understand the true scope of your protection.

Exclusions

This is where insurers outline what is not covered. Common exclusions include:

• Floods
• Earthquakes
• Neglect
• Wear and tear
• Sewer backup (unless endorsed)

Many landlords are shocked when something they assumed was covered appears here, making it essential to read before signing.

Conditions

Conditions are the rules you must follow for coverage to apply. Examples include:

• Maintenance requirements
• Timelines for reporting claims
• Steps you must take after a loss

Missing a condition, even accidentally, can jeopardize a payout.

Endorsements

Endorsements modify the policy. They can:

• Add coverage
• Limit coverage
• Clarify terms

For landlords, endorsements are often where essential protections live, such as:

• Ordinance or law coverage
• Sewer backup protection
• Short-term rental endorsements

Before you sign anything, go through these seven sections with a fine-tooth comb. This is where the most important coverage details and the biggest potential pitfalls live.

2. Confirm Whether You Have Named Peril or Open Peril Coverage

One of the quickest ways to misunderstand your insurance protection and end up with an unexpected denial is not knowing whether your policy uses named peril or open peril coverage. The difference is simple, but the financial impact can be huge.

Steadily’s policy guide highlights this as one of the first questions landlords should ask, because everything else in your policy flows from this choice.

Named peril coverage: Only what’s listed is covered

A named peril policy protects you only against the specific events listed in the contract. If it’s not named, it’s not covered, period.

There are two types:

1. Basic named perils covers a limited set of events, such as:

• Fire
• Lightning
• Windstorms or hail
• Explosions
• Smoke
• Vandalism
• Riots
• Damage from vehicles or aircraft
• Sinkhole collapse
• Sprinkler leakage
• Volcanic activity

2. Broad named perils include everything in the basic list, plus additional protections like:

• Burglary
• Falling objects
• Ice or snow weight
• Frozen plumbing
• Accidental water discharge
• Electrical issues

Named peril policies can work well, but only if you fully understand which events are included and which aren’t.

Open peril coverage: Everything is covered unless excluded

An open peril policy flips the script. Instead of listing what is covered, it lists what isn’t. If the cause of loss is not specifically excluded, it’s covered.

This typically provides:

• Broader protection
• Fewer gray areas during claims
• Greater peace of mind for landlords

But open peril policies are also more expensive, and not all exclusions are obvious at first glance.

Why this choice matters for landlords

Knowing whether you have named or open peril coverage affects:

• How you evaluate risk
• What supplemental endorsements you may need
• How claims are handled
• Whether certain losses will be denied outright

For example, a basic named-peril policy might deny a claim for ice dam damage, while an open-peril policy might cover the same event unless ice dams are explicitly excluded.

Before signing your policy, read the definitions and coverages pages carefully. Notice whether the perils are listed individually or not. 

Check your exclusion. Even open-peril policies can have exclusions you wouldn’t expect. Ask your insurer or broker directly about what type of peril is listed. 

And compare your options. Open peril often delivers better long-term value for landlords, but don’t just assume this is the best decision without thoroughly reviewing the policy.

3. Verify Replacement Cost Value vs. Actual Cash Value

Now that you know what your policy covers, it’s time to understand how your insurer will calculate what they owe you after a loss. This is where many landlords get blindsided, because two policies with the same coverage limits can produce very different payouts depending on whether they use Replacement Cost Value (RCV) or Actual Cash Value (ACV).

Steadily’s guide emphasizes this distinction as one of the most important details to check before signing.

Let’s break it down in landlord-friendly terms.

Replacement Cost Value (RCV): The higher, safer payout

With RCV coverage, your insurer pays what it costs to replace or repair the damaged item with a new one of similar kind and quality, without deducting for depreciation. In other words, if your 15-year-old roof is destroyed in a storm, the insurer covers the cost of a new roof, not the depreciated value of the old one.

RCV benefits:

• Larger payouts
• Better long-term protection
• Fewer surprises during claims

Actual Cash Value (ACV): Depreciation hits your wallet

With ACV, the insurer subtracts depreciation from the payout. Using the same roof example: If the roof originally cost $12,000 and depreciation brings its value down to $4,000, then $4,000 is what you get, even if replacement costs $12,000+ today.

ACV benefits:

• Cheaper premiums
• However, significantly lower claim payouts

Why this matters so much for landlords

Landlords deal with:

• Wear and tear
• Aging systems
• Tenant-caused damage
• Weather exposure

That means most items in a rental property have already depreciated. If your policy uses ACV, a major claim could cost you tens of thousands out of pocket.

Even worse, ACV may apply differently to your dwelling versus your personal property, so confirm how each section of your policy is handled. 

Questions to ask before signing

• Is my dwelling covered at RCV or ACV?
• What about other structures?
• Is personal property covered at RCV or ACV?
• Are there age-related stipulations (for roofs, HVAC, plumbing, etc.)?

The smart move

If your budget allows it, choosing RCV for both dwelling and personal property coverage typically provides the strongest protection for landlords, especially during catastrophic losses.

4. Understand What Kind of Water Damage Your Policy Covers

Water damage is one of the most common, and most expensive, insurance claims landlords face. Not all water damage is treated the same, and what you consider water damage may not match what your insurer considers water damage.

Steadily’s policy guide highlights just how nuanced this category is and why landlords must understand the distinctions before signing a policy. 

What’s typically covered

Most landlord insurance policies cover sudden and accidental water damage, such as:

• Water damage after a fire: If the fire department or sprinklers drench your property, resulting water damage is generally covered.
• Accidental appliance or plumbing leaks: This includes leaks from dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerators, and faulty plumbing.
• Burst pipes: Especially those caused by freezing weather, as long as you maintained adequate heat and weren’t negligent.
• Roof leaks from storm damage: If a storm tears off shingles or a fallen tree causes a breach, interior water damage is usually covered.
• Ice dams: This is when ice builds up on the roof and forces water inside. But, similar to burst pipes, claims may be denied if poor maintenance contributed.

What’s usually not covered

• Flooding: Standard landlord insurance almost never covers flood damage, including rising groundwater, storm surges, river overflow, and heavy rain accumulation. If your property is in a flood-prone area, you’ll need separate flood insurance.
• Sewer or drain backup: Unless you’ve added an endorsement, backup from drains, toilets, or sump pumps is typically excluded.
• Appliance replacement: If your washer leaks, the water damage is covered, but the washer itself usually isn’t.
• Neglect-related damage: Slow leaks, ignored repairs, or deferred maintenance often lead to claim denials.
• Earthquake-related water damage: If an earthquake causes a pipe to break and flood a room, the water damage is excluded unless you carry earthquake coverage.

Why water damage is such a high-risk blind spot

Water damage can lead to mold growth, structural damage, tenant displacement, loss of rental income, and major out-of-pocket expenses. Lots of water-related scenarios fall into a gray area of coverage, so landlords should read this section with extreme care. You can ask these questions before signing:

• What types of water damage are explicitly covered?
• Is sewer or drain backup included or available as an endorsement?
• Are there maintenance conditions tied to water-related claims?
• Do I need separate flood or earthquake coverage?
• How does the policy define “neglect” or “seepage”?

Understanding these distinctions could be the difference between a fully paid claim and a five-figure personal expense.

5. Check How Your Policy Handles Roof Coverage

Roof coverage is one of the most misunderstood parts of a landlord insurance policy, and one of the most common sources of claim disputes. Roofs age, storms hit, shingles wear down, and insurers treat all these situations differently depending on the carrier and the state.

Steadily’s guide notes that many insurers reduce roof coverage once the roof reaches a certain age, switching from Replacement Cost Value (RCV) to Actual Cash Value (ACV). This means a much smaller payout if your roof is damaged. 

Here’s what landlords need to watch for before signing.

Age-based roof restrictions

Some insurers automatically downgrade older roofs to ACV once they pass an age threshold, often 10, 15, or 20 years. That means you get reimbursed for the roof’s depreciated value, not the cost to replace it. In states with severe weather risks, this downgrade is even more common.

Location matters

Certain states impose stricter rules on roof coverage due to climate risks. For example, Steadily’s guide highlights that Texas insurers are particularly strict about older roofs because of the state’s frequent hailstorms and intense thunderstorms. That means a roof that qualifies for RCV in one state may only qualify for ACV in another.

Cosmetic damage is often excluded

Even if hail or wind damages your shingles cosmetically, many insurers exclude minor denting, surface impacts, and aesthetic-only damage. If the roof still functions, it may not be covered.

Your roof is a first line of defense against water intrusion, mold, structural damage, tenant complaints, and habitability issues. If a storm compromises the roof, you could face multiple layers of costly problems. 

 

To protect yourself ahead of time, you can ask these questions before signing your policy:

• Is my roof covered at RCV or ACV?
• Does the policy change coverage at a specific roof age?
• What documentation is required to prove roof condition?
• Are cosmetic damages excluded?
• Is there a separate wind or hail deductible?

Getting clear answers now can save you from a painful surprise when a storm hits.

6. Clarify Liability & Defense Cost Limits

Liability coverage is a critical part of your landlord insurance policy. It’s also one of the least understood. Many landlords assume that if they’re sued, their policy will handle everything. Unfortunately, that’s not how liability protection always works.

Steadily highlights a key distinction that can dramatically change your financial exposure: whether your defense costs are inside or outside the liability limit.

Liability coverage: What it actually protects

Liability coverage is designed to protect you if:

• A tenant or guest is injured on your property.
• Someone sues you for negligence.
• You’re pulled into a legal dispute over conditions at the property.

This coverage typically pays for medical bills, legal defense, and settlements or judgments. The payout structure varies, depending on how your policy treats defense costs.

If defense costs are inside the limit, your legal expenses count toward your total liability limit. For example, let’s say you carry $300,000 of liability coverage. If your legal defense costs $85,000, your remaining coverage for the settlement is now $215,000. This can leave landlords dangerously exposed, especially with today’s legal costs.

If defense costs are outside the liability limit, legal fees do not reduce your coverage, and you retain the full liability limit for settlements. This is the preferred structure for landlords. This provides a more predictable, comprehensive protection.

 

Why this matters for landlords

Legal defense costs can escalate quickly due to tenant injuries, habitability claims, premises liability lawsuits, and disputes surrounding mold, water intrusion, or structural issues. If these costs erode your liability limit, you could be responsible for paying substantial amounts out of pocket.

Here are some questions to ask before signing your policy:

• Are defense costs inside or outside my liability limit?
• What is my base liability limit?
• Are there sublimits for specific types of liability claims?
• Are medical payments included separately?
• Does the policy offer higher liability options (e.g., $500,000, $1 million)?

Defense cost structure can completely change how protected you are during a lawsuit. It’s one of the most important details landlords should confirm before committing to a policy.

7. Look for Location-Specific Exclusions

Even the strongest landlord insurance policy has limits, and many of those are directly tied to where your rental property is located. Geographic risk is one of the biggest factors insurers evaluate, and depending on your region, certain hazards may be excluded from standard coverage.

This is one of the most common blind spots for landlords, because exclusions aren’t always obvious until a claim is filed.

Flood exclusions (almost always excluded)

Standard landlord insurance does not cover flood damage. This includes flooding caused by storm surges, heavy rainfall, overflowing rivers or lakes, and rising groundwater. If your property sits in or near a FEMA flood zone, you’ll need a separate flood insurance policy, either through the NFIP or private flood carriers.

Earthquake exclusions

Earthquake damage is also typically excluded, unless you purchase an endorsement or a stand-alone policy. This matters even if you’re not in California. States like Utah, Washington, Oregon, Oklahoma, and South Carolina all experience seismic activity that can cause structural damage, cracked foundations, and, importantly, water damage from burst pipes. Without earthquake coverage, those losses are not covered.

Named storm or wind/hail restrictions

Certain states have special deductibles or exclusions for hurricanes, windstorms, and hail damage. For example, Gulf Coast and Atlantic states often have named storm deductibles, while Midwest states may have separate wind/hail deductibles due to severe storms. These deductibles can be based on a flat dollar amount, or a percentage of the property’s insured value (often 1% to 5%). 

Wildfire exclusions or underwriting restrictions

In high-risk areas—especially parts of California, Colorado, Arizona, and the Pacific Northwest—some insurers exclude wildfire, require defensible space inspections, or offer limited or restricted coverage. If you invest in these states, wildfire-related underwriting deserves special attention.

Why these exclusions matter

Location-specific exclusions can dramatically change your risk exposure. A policy that looks affordable at first glance may leave you unprotected against the very hazards most common in your region. 

 

Here are some questions you can ask before signing your policy:

• Are floods excluded? If so, do I need separate coverage?
• Are earthquakes excluded? Is an endorsement available?
• Are there special deductibles for wind, hail, or named storms?
• Are wildfires covered or restricted?
• Are any geographic limitations mentioned in the exclusions or conditions section?

8. Bonus Checks Landlords Often Miss

Even if you’ve reviewed the big-ticket items like perils, water damage, roof coverage, and liability limits, there are still several smaller—but equally important—details buried in your policy that can make or break a future claim. These are the kinds of conditions most landlords overlook until it’s too late.

Vacancy clauses

Most landlord policies change coverage the moment your property becomes vacant. Common restrictions include:

• Reduced protection after 30 or 60 days of vacancy
• Exclusions for vandalism, theft, or water damage
• Special inspections or maintenance requirements
•  

If you invest in value-add properties or have extended turnover periods, vacancy rules matter.

Tenant-caused damage limitations

Many landlords assume that if a tenant causes damage, insurance will cover it. This is not always the case. Some policies exclude:

• Tenant negligence
• Intentional damage
• Pet-related damage
• Smoke damage from careless behavior

Review this section closely, especially if you allow pets or rent to higher-turnover tenants.

Maintenance obligations

Insurance policies often include conditions requiring you to:

• Keep heat on during freezing weather
• Maintain plumbing and HVAC systems
• Monitor and repair roof leaks
• Manage mold proactively

Failure to meet these obligations can void a claim, even if the damage would otherwise be covered.

Loss of rents coverage details

If a covered loss makes your rental uninhabitable, loss of rent coverage replaces your income. But pay attention to:

• Time limits (often capped at 12 months)
• Payout caps
• Exclusions tied to specific hazards

This coverage is crucial for protecting cash flow, especially during lengthy repairs.

Policy sublimits

Even if your main coverage is strong, sublimits can quietly restrict certain types of claims. Common sublimits include:

• Mold remediation
• Debris removal
• Tree damage
• Ordinance or law upgrades
• Theft of landlord-owned property

These can drastically reduce payouts if you don’t expect them.

Required documentation processes

Before signing, understand what documentation your insurer requires during a claim, including:

• Photos or videos of damage
• Receipts for repairs
• Proof of maintenance history
• Tenant communication logs

Policies often specify these requirements in the “Conditions” section.

These smaller details might not seem urgent during onboarding, but they can become major problems in a crisis. Completing these bonus checks ensures your policy performs exactly how you expect when it matters most.

Why Having an Investor?Focused Insurer Matters

By now, you’ve seen just how many moving parts go into a landlord insurance policy. From exclusions to roof age restrictions to water damage nuances, there’s a lot for investors to keep track of. And the truth is, most landlords don’t have the time nor desire to become insurance experts.

That’s why working with an insurer built specifically for real estate investors can make all the difference. 

Steadily specializes in landlord?first coverage, meaning they design every policy, workflow, and support system around the realities you deal with every day. Here’s what that means for you.

Clear, transparent policies (no hidden surprises)

Steadily’s focus on rental properties means their policies are built for the exact scenarios covered here. Instead of ambiguous terms buried in dense documents, they use clear language and investor?friendly structures so you understand what is and isn’t covered, why certain exclusions exist, and how to avoid preventable claim issues. It’s insurance written for landlords, not repurposed for them.

Fast, digital?first quotes when you’re under contract

If you invest regularly, you already know that insurance can be one of the most painful bottlenecks when closing. Calls, back?and?forth emails, and slow approvals can all waste time. When you’re trying to hit a contract deadline or bind coverage for a new rental, speed matters.

Steadily removes that friction by giving landlords instant online quotes, rapid underwriting turnarounds, and a modern dashboard for managing all your properties. 

Coverage designed for real?world landlord risks

Because Steadily works exclusively with landlords, their policies automatically account for:

• Vacancy?related exposures
• Short?term rental needs
• Tenant?caused damage
• Loss of rent
• Liability concerns specific to rental properties

You don’t have to piece together coverage or guess which endorsements you need. Steadily helps you get it right from the start.

Support from people who understand rentals

Whether you’re dealing with a claim, asking about coverage, or insuring a full portfolio, Steadily’s team understands landlord concerns like habitability rules, state?specific risks, renovations and value?add projects, and cash flow protection needs. That context matters when you need fast, accurate answers.

With so many complex details hidden in a landlord insurance policy, partnering with an insurer that specializes in rental properties makes your life dramatically easier. Steadily helps eliminate blind spots, reduce risk, and protect your cash flow with confidence.

Get a quote in minutes

Steadily’s digital-first process lets you:

• Compare landlord-ready coverage options quickly
• Avoid confusing paperwork and endless back-and-forth emails
• Bind a policy fast when you’re under contract

Whether you own a single rental or a growing portfolio, the right coverage is your safety net.

Protect your investments with confidence. Get a fast, landlord-specific quote from Steadily today.

The best time to close your coverage gaps is before something goes wrong. Steadily helps you do exactly that.

In This Article

This article is presented by WDSuite.

For new and experienced multifamily investors alike, choosing the right market is often the most important decision you’ll make. You can buy a beautifully renovated apartment building, secure great financing, and even underwrite the deal conservatively. But if the neighborhood lacks stability, demand, or the right tenant base, your investment will struggle.

What separates the pros from everyone else is knowing how to assess a market beyond surface-level trends. Rent growth and job numbers matter, but they don’t tell the full story. That’s especially true in multifamily investing, where you’re dealing with dozens of tenants, longer hold periods, and more exposure to economic shifts in the surrounding area.

If your 2026 goal is to buy smarter and scale with less risk, the first step is learning how to evaluate a market the right way—not just with your gut, but with data that tells you what’s really going on in the neighborhood.

1. Median Credit Score

One of the strongest signals of a stable rental market is the median credit score of residents. A higher median credit score often points to a more financially responsible tenant pool, fewer payment issues, and reduced turnover. For multifamily investors, this can mean more predictable rent rolls and fewer evictions.

Strong market

The median credit score here is above 675, indicating higher financial responsibility and lower default risk

In neighborhoods with higher credit scores, residents tend to have stronger financial habits, which translates into consistent rent payments and less wear and tear on units. These markets also tend to attract more stable employers, better school systems, and lower crime rates—all of which support long-term property value and resident retention.

Weak market

This is indicated by a median credit score below 600, especially when combined with other risk indicators like high vacancy or stagnant income growth

A significantly low median credit score may be a red flag. It can indicate economic distress, frequent job instability, or an area where rent collection could become more hands-on. That doesn’t mean the deal is bad, but it does mean your property management approach may need to shift, and risk mitigation becomes even more important.

How to use WDSuite to analyze median credit score

With WDSuite, multifamily investors can view the median credit score by neighborhood directly from their personalized dashboard. The data drills down to specific properties and submarkets, giving you a far more nuanced view than looking at citywide data. You can compare the credit score of a target asset’s area to local, state, and national benchmarks, helping you assess the risk profile at a glance.

By monitoring this data over time, you can also detect trends that point to a neighborhood improving or declining. These insights are crucial when planning long-term holds or value-add projects.

2. Safety Score

Multifamily properties are community-based by nature. Unlike single-family rentals, where tenants may tolerate less-than-ideal neighborhoods because they’re more isolated, multifamily tenants rely on shared spaces. Parking lots, hallways, laundry rooms, and playgrounds are common areas that mean the perceived safety of a neighborhood plays a much bigger role.

For multifamily investors, safety is not only a tenant concern but a performance metric as well. A property’s location directly influences occupancy rates, tenant turnover, and the type of renters your property attracts. If a tenant doesn’t feel safe, they will either leave early or never sign a lease at all. In contrast, a well-rated area often commands stronger rents, longer tenancies, and fewer maintenance headaches caused by frequent move-outs.

Tenants today are doing their own research before signing leases. If your property is located in a ZIP code with known safety issues, it will show up in their online searches, which can cost you potential renters. As an owner or operator, understanding and proactively addressing safety-related concerns can prevent cash flow interruptions before they begin.

How WDSuite helps you evaluate safety before you buy

WDSuite provides a Safety Score directly within its property and neighborhood dashboards. This metric pulls in crime data and aggregates it into a clear rating, helping investors evaluate potential acquisitions or compare submarkets side by side. Rather than manually digging through local police blotters, county crime maps, or outdated blog posts, you get a real-time snapshot that helps you answer questions like:

• Is this neighborhood on the rise or decline in terms of public safety?
• Will this score impact my ability to lease up quickly?
• Should I budget for additional security features like lighting, cameras, or fencing?

If you’re scaling a portfolio across multiple cities, WDSuite’s Safety Score helps you create a repeatable underwriting system by identifying the areas worth your time and money without relying on gut instinct or word of mouth.

Start adding Safety Score as a standard column in your property analysis spreadsheet. When evaluating deals with brokers or partners, be ready to justify why you’re passing on certain ZIP codes, and back it up with WDSuite’s data. Over time, you’ll build an acquisition strategy rooted in risk-adjusted returns, not just surface-level cap rates.

3. Neighborhood Rating

Unlike single-family rentals, multifamily properties typically attract a broader tenant base and serve as microcommunities within a larger ecosystem. The quality of the surrounding neighborhood plays a significant role in tenant decision-making, lease renewals, and long-term satisfaction. 

 

That’s where Neighborhood Rating becomes an essential tool. This metric represents a composite score that reflects the overall desirability of a specific area, factoring in elements like crime, schools, amenities, walkability, and more.

A strong neighborhood rating typically signals:

• Lower turnover because tenants are happier where they live.
• Higher rent growth potential as demand increases in desirable areas.
• Reduced marketing time, since renters are actively looking in those ZIP codes.

On the other hand, a weak neighborhood score can mean stagnant rents, increased vacancy, or lower-quality tenant leads. Even if a building itself is well-maintained, the surrounding environment can either reinforce or undermine its performance.

How WDSuite helps you evaluate neighborhood health

Rather than relying on hearsay or outdated anecdotes from agents or forums, WDSuite’s Neighborhood Rating platform aggregates various data sources into a single, easy-to-compare rating. With this feature, you can:

• Compare neighborhoods across different cities or submarkets.
• Spot trends in gentrification or decline based on historical shifts.
• Identify hidden gems: neighborhoods on the upswing that haven’t yet priced out.

If you’re evaluating Class B or C properties for value-add plays, WDSuite’s neighborhood insights help you balance risk with opportunity. For example, you might choose a C+ building in a B- neighborhood with rising momentum rather than investing in a cheaper asset in a declining ZIP code.

What makes a market strong vs. weak?

• Strong markets often show high neighborhood ratings, combined with solid school systems, retail access, and declining crime. They’re likely to attract renters with stable incomes who are looking for more than just affordability.
• Weaker markets tend to have lower ratings due to poor infrastructure, limited amenities, or high turnover, even if prices are lower upfront.

When underwriting a deal, pair the Neighborhood Rating with other core metrics like rent growth, population trends, and safety score. This holistic view lets you identify not just whether a deal pencils out today, but whether it aligns with long-term demand and tenant satisfaction.

4. National Percentile

In multifamily investing, context is everything. You might find a neighborhood that looks promising on the surface, but without understanding how it compares to others nationally, it’s easy to misjudge its true potential. 

 

That’s where the National Percentile metric comes in, offering a clear benchmark of how a given location performs relative to markets across the country. WDSuite calculates a National Percentile Score for each neighborhood or area, based on a combination of key metrics like credit score, neighborhood quality, and safety. A percentile score ranks the area from 1 to 100, meaning if a neighborhood scores in the 85th percentile, it outperforms 85% of other neighborhoods nationwide.

For multifamily investors evaluating new acquisitions or managing a growing portfolio, this percentile insight adds powerful context:

• A high national percentile indicates a strong, competitive market with solid fundamentals.
• A low national percentile may mean the area is underperforming, unstable, or higher-risk.

Percentile metrics help you gut-check your assumptions. For example, a market with low rents might seem attractive for cash flow, but if it falls in the bottom 20% of national rankings, it might signal tenant instability, low credit scores, or future turnover risks.

How to use WDSuite’s National Percentile Score in your underwriting

WDSuite simplifies the market comparison process by giving each area a consolidated percentile score that combines various performance indicators into one digestible number. This score is displayed directly on the dashboard, alongside other insights like safety and credit profile. You can use the percentile score to:

• Quickly vet markets without needing to stitch together multiple data sources.
• Compare submarkets across different cities when deciding where to expand.
• Justify decisions to lenders, partners, or LPs with third-party benchmarking.
• Spot appreciation potential in neighborhoods moving up the percentile ladder.

For syndicators or operators scaling across several metros, this is a key tool for staying objective.

Strong vs. weak multifamily markets

• Strong markets often rank in the top 30% or higher. These tend to be stable, sought-after areas with strong tenant demand, consistent occupancy, and room for rent growth. Even if cap rates are tighter, these areas usually perform well long-term.
• Weaker markets tend to rank below the 50th percentile, often signaling economic decline, tenant instability, or structural risk. While they may offer higher cash flow on paper, they often come with increased management headaches and lower equity upside.

Use the National Percentile Score alongside your boots-on-the-ground research to confirm you’re investing in a market that aligns with your strategy, whether you’re looking for safety and stability or you’re comfortable taking on more risk for higher yield.

As you evaluate new markets, underwrite multifamily deals, and manage your portfolio going into 2026, having real-time, hyperlocal data is essential.

These four key metrics—Median Credit Score, Safety Score, Neighborhood Rating, and National Percentile—each offer a unique lens into the health and potential of a submarket. But trying to manually source and analyze this data from dozens of tools or public records is time-consuming and error-prone.

Where WDSuite Comes In

WDSuite pulls all these metrics into a single, easy-to-read dashboard so you can make better decisions faster. Whether you’re screening neighborhoods before acquisition or tracking asset performance as part of your quarterly review process, WDSuite simplifies your workflow.

With the dashboard, you can:

• Vet markets before sending your LOI.
• Identify high-credit, high-demand submarkets.
• Spot emerging trends across metros and ZIP codes
• Benchmark performance across your entire portfolio.

Instead of relying on gut instinct or outdated census data, you get real-time insights that help you stay competitive, reduce risk, and allocate capital more confidently. 

If you’re planning to scale your multifamily business in 2026, start by leveling up your data and your decisions with WDSuite.

In This Article

This article is presented by Steadily.

When most real estate investors analyze a potential rental property, they start with the obvious metrics, including rent comps, neighborhood ratings, and a quick scan of recent sales. While these high-level numbers matter, they don’t tell the full story of whether your specific property will stay occupied, command strong rents, and attract the kind of tenants who will take care of the place.

Micro-market due diligence is essential for any investor to be successful and create the full picture for their portfolio’s performance. It’s the layer of detail that separates a good deal on paper from a great deal in real life.

1. Start by Zooming In, Not Out 

Within the same ZIP code, one street can outperform the next by a mile. Sub-neighborhood pockets often have very different renter demographics, turnover rates, and even levels of demand you won’t see in a broad comp report. You’re researching who actually lives here, how long they stay, and what the immediate environment signals about future demand.

Beyond that, dive into patterns that seasonality masks. Some areas spike in vacancy during winter. Others see tenant turnover every summer due to school schedules or local employers’ hiring cycles. If you only look at the month you’re under contract, you might completely misread the true demand story.

Then there’s the tenant profile. A market heavily populated by students, short-term contractors, or hospitality workers behaves very differently from one anchored by long-term families or medical professionals. Understanding who rents in your micro-market is often more predictive of your future cash flow than the rent comps alone.

Finally, validate demand with actual operators on the ground. Local property managers can tell you which listings get the most inquiries, features tenants ask about, and which rent ranges are softening. This qualitative intel is just as important as the hard numbers.

When you map out these micro-market dynamics early, before inspections, financing, and negotiating concessions, you’re buying into the demand ecosystem that will determine your long-term revenue. Missing that layer is one of the fastest ways investors misjudge a deal.

2. Evaluate Physical Systems and Future Capital Expenditure Exposure

Even when a property looks clean, updated, and turnkey on the surface, the biggest financial hits almost always come from the parts of the house you can’t see. Roofs, foundations, plumbing, electrical systems, and HVAC units don’t show up in listing photos, but can wipe out a year of cash flow in a single repair.

That’s why a true due diligence process digs far deeper than the standard inspection report. You’re not just confirming the condition of the property. Rather, you’re forecasting timelines, when each major component will need repair or replacement, and what that means for your long-term returns.

Start with big-ticket items like the roof, HVAC, plumbing type, and electrical panel. Each has a predictable lifespan and carries a price tag large enough to reshape your pro forma. A 22-year-old roof may still pass inspection, but if it’s at the end of its useful life, you need to account for that future expense now—not in three years, when a leak forces an emergency replacement.

Foundation issues can be equally costly. Hairline cracks aren’t always a problem, but shifting, moisture intrusion, or stair-step cracking can signal structural issues. Ignoring them during due diligence is one of the fastest ways to inherit a six-figure problem.

Plumbing deserves special attention too. Galvanized steel, cast iron, and polybutylene all carry risk, and insurance carriers are increasingly wary of them. A property with outdated plumbing might still be a great deal, but only if you know what you’re getting into.

And don’t forget HVAC. A unit that’s “working fine” today might be running on borrowed time if it’s 18 years old. You should know the age, service history, and expected remaining lifespan of every system before closing.

Your goal in this stage of due diligence isn’t to avoid every older component, but budget for reality. When you forecast capital expenditures accurately, before you make an offer, you protect your cash flow, strengthen your negotiation leverage, and ensure you’re buying a property with eyes wide open.

Remember, if you upgrade these non-structural elements of your home, they may qualify for bonus depreciation and the value of the upgrades can be written off on a yearly tax return.

3. Analyze Operational Complexity and Management Fit

A rental can look fantastic on paper—great comps, solid neighborhood, clean inspection—and still be an operational headache that drains your time, energy, and returns. That’s because not all properties are created equal when it comes to daily management.

This part of due diligence is about understanding the true workload of the property. Investors often underestimate it, especially when they’re excited about a deal. Misjudging operational complexity is one of the fastest ways a passive investment turns into a second job.

Start with the layout and physical design. Odd floor plans, multiple entrances, triplexes carved out of old single-family homes, and properties with shared utilities invariably come with more tenant coordination and maintenance calls. These quirks aren’t necessarily deal-breakers, but they must be factored into management planning.

Next, look at the tenant profile the property naturally attracts. Student housing, short-term contractors, workforce renters, luxury tenants, and multigenerational households each have different expectations, turnover patterns, and communication needs. A mismatch between the property’s natural renter base and your management style (or your manager’s skill set) can create friction from day one.

Location adds another layer. Properties near nightlife, hospitals, colleges, or transit hubs tend to bring noisier environments, parking pressure, or frequent move-ins and move-outs. Meanwhile, homes in HOA communities can require more administrative oversight and strict compliance.

Then there’s the local regulatory landscape, noise ordinances, rental licensing, inspection schedules, parking requirements, and trash rules. These small but constant obligations can pile up quickly if you’re not prepared for them.

The goal of this due diligence step isn’t to eliminate those operational challenges. Instead, this due diligence allows you to choose a property where the management demands align with your lifestyle, experience level, and available support. 

When you understand how complex or simple a property will be to operate, you can make smarter decisions about whether to self-manage, hire a property manager, or walk away entirely. And those all translate to a dollar value and a time commitment.

4. Do Financial Stress Testing Under Real-World Conditions

You can truly make every rental deal work in a spreadsheet. A little tweak here and there can hide some very un-hideable metrics. 

It’s easy to plug in best-case assumptions, full occupancy, stable rents, modest repairs, and predictable taxes and convince yourself the numbers pencil perfectly. But real-world investing rarely plays out that cleanly. Due diligence helps you prepare for what will eventually happen with your investment property. 

That’s where financial stress testing comes in. Instead of relying on a single pro forma, smart investors evaluate a range of outcomes: conservative, moderate, and optimistic. This reveals whether the deal only works when everything goes right, or whether it can survive normal volatility.

Start by adjusting rents. What happens if your projected rent comes in 5% lower? Or if concessions become the norm in your micro-market? A deal that breaks at a small rent reduction is already signaling fragility.

Then test vacancy. Even in strong markets, turnover happens. Model the impact of longer leasing times, seasonal dips, or tenant quality shifts. A single extended vacancy can erase months of profit, so anticipate that now.

Expenses deserve the same scrutiny. Property taxes tend to rise faster than investors expect. Insurance premiums can jump, especially in certain states. Utilities fluctuate. And maintenance never stays flat. Build in higher-than-expected costs to see if the cash flow still holds.

Finally, factor in capital expenditures. Even if you’ve budgeted carefully in the previous due diligence step, stress-test what happens if a major system fails earlier than planned. A prematurely dead HVAC or roof leak can reshape annual returns.

The goal of this exercise is not to be pessimistic. But you want to reveal the deal’s durability so nothing is a surprise later. A strong investment should survive bumps, not collapse under the first unexpected bill.

5. Consider Insurance Underwriting Red Flags That Change the Numbers

This is the due diligence step almost everyone overlooks, and it’s one of the most expensive places to get blindsided. Even if the property passes inspection, cash flow looks strong, and the neighborhood feels perfect, the deal can still fall apart when you try to insure it.

Insurance underwriting works as a financial gatekeeper. If you don’t understand what underwriters look for before you go under contract, you risk discovering—far too late—that your projected numbers were never realistic to begin with.

Start with the big three underwriting triggers: roof age, electrical panels, and plumbing type. A 25-year-old roof, a Federal Pacific panel, or cast-iron plumbing can dramatically change your premium, or prevent a carrier from offering coverage at all. Your pro forma may assume a $1,200 premium, but the quote could come back at $3,800 once these risk factors surface.

Then, dig into prior claims. Even if you didn’t file them, the property’s history follows the address. Multiple water damage or fire claims or liability incidents can bump premiums, increase deductibles, or eliminate carrier options. In some markets, certain addresses land on restricted lists, forcing investors to use specialty carriers with higher pricing.

Geographic hazards matter too. Flood zones, hail belts, wildfire corridors, and wind-exposed regions all shape premiums. A property that looks like a cash-flow machine at first glance may fall apart once you price in real insurance costs.

What catches most investors off guard is that these underwriting red flags don’t show up in typical due diligence documents. Inspectors may not flag insurability issues, sellers rarely disclose them, and most investors don’t ask.

But ignoring insurance underwriting is how deals that look amazing online turn into underperforming headaches in real life. When you evaluate insurability early, you eliminate false positives, avoid hidden risks, and ensure the deal you think you’re buying is actually the deal you’re getting.

Partnering with an investor-focused insurance provider becomes a strategic advantage. Steadily was built specifically for landlords, so instead of waiting days for answers or sifting through confusing policy jargon, you get fast clarity. Their underwriting process is streamlined, their coverage options reflect real investor needs, and their quotes reveal exactly how insurability impacts your deal’s bottom line.

Final Thoughts

If you want real confidence before you commit, rooted in all five layers of due diligence, make insurance your final verification step. And if you want that verification without the friction, Steadily makes it simple.

Before you close on your next property, get a quick, investor-friendly quote from Steadily. It’s the fastest way to confirm whether the numbers truly work, and the smartest way to protect your portfolio from hidden risk.

In This Article

When a property reaches the REO stage—Real Estate Owned—it signals the final step of the foreclosure cycle. The homeowner is out, the auction has been completed (often unsuccessfully), and the lender now holds title. 

For investors, the REO category can represent a unique opportunity: properties priced below market value, homes needing renovation, and inventory that banks often prefer to liquidate efficiently.

November’s REO data reveals a continued rise in completed foreclosures compared to last year, even as early-stage filings pulled back. That combination—fewer new filings, more completed cases—is a hallmark of a maturing foreclosure pipeline. It means the early distress we saw in spring and summer 2025 is now materializing into real, actionable inventory.

This month, the numbers also revealed fascinating regional and county-level differences. Some states saw REOs surge sharply, others cooled, and several counties experienced dramatic shifts in how quickly properties moved from auction to bank-owned status.

If you’re an investor looking to understand where real distressed inventory is emerging—and how to position your strategy—November’s REO story is essential reading.

National REO Activity Climbs Again

In November 2025, the U.S. recorded 3,884 REOs (bank-owned properties), down just 0.15% month over month, and up 25.74% year over year.

This slight monthly dip is negligible—REO activity remains substantially higher than one year ago. Nationwide, more properties are completing the foreclosure process and returning to lenders’ inventories.

Remember: REOs lag Starts and Notice of Sale by several months. So this year-over-year jump reflects the elevated Starts we tracked throughout 2025, especially in fast-moving states like Texas and judicial states like Florida and Ohio.

State-Level Breakdown: A Tale of Diverging Markets

Let’s take a look at the five core states driving national REO activity.

1. Florida

• 311 REOs
• +27.98% MoM
• +132.09% YoY

Florida saw one of the most dramatic increases nationally. Even with a steep decline in new filings this month, the state’s backlog of distressed properties continues to clear.

2. California

• 314 REOs
• –6.55% MoM
• -21.89% YoY

California bucked the national trend, posting both monthly and annual declines. This suggests that, while distress exists, cases here are dragging longer through the legal process.

3. Ohio

• 130 REOs
• +7.44% MoM
• -11.56% YoY

Ohio’s REO activity is steady but slightly lower than last year. This reflects a more normalized cycle after elevated filings earlier in the year.

4. North Carolina

• 122 REOs
• -20.26% MoM
• +40.23% YoY

North Carolina continues to be one of the nation’s fastest-moving foreclosure states. Even with a monthly dip, REOs remain far higher than in 2024.

5. Texas

• 546 REOs
• +52.51% MoM
• +135.34% YoY

Texas delivered the biggest REO spike of any major state—both month over month and year over year. The state’s fast nonjudicial process continues to push properties from Start to auction to REO faster than any judicial state.

Why the REO Stage Matters for Investors

For investors, REOs offer a powerful mix of opportunities and advantages.

1. Banks become motivated sellers

When lenders take possession, maintaining the property becomes an expense, not an asset. They often want these properties sold efficiently and may price them below comparable retail listings.

2. Due diligence is easier than at auction

Unlike at a courthouse sale:

• Investors can inspect the property.
• They can order an appraisal.
• Title issues can be addressed before closing.
• Financing—including non-recourse loans inside a self-directed IRA—is possible.

This makes REOs an accessible entry point for new and experienced investors alike.

3. REOs reveal the end-point of market distress

As REO levels rise, it signals that:

• More homeowners have exited their homes.
• More auctions went unsold.
• Lenders are about to release inventory to the public market.

This can create opportunity in both acquisition pricing and volume.

4. IRA and Solo 401(k) investors benefit from timing

Because REOs move slower than auctions, investors using tax-advantaged retirement accounts can:

• Perform deeper due diligence.
• Arrange non-recourse financing.
• Structure long-term buy-and-hold strategies.

Compared to the fast pace of trustee sales, REOs fit comfortably within retirement account rules and timelines.

County-Level REO Insights: Where Distress Is Converting Fastest

Using Option C (only the most meaningful changes), here are the county-level standouts for November:

Florida: Gulf Coast and Central Florida lead REO growth

• Lee County saw one of the largest MoM REO increases in the state.
• Orange County (Orlando) also posted a meaningful rise, indicating steady conversion from earlier filings.
• Miami-Dade and Broward stayed elevated, but moved more modestly this month.

Investor insight

Florida’s REO growth is real—and geographically diverse. Expect new inventory across both coasts heading into 2026.

California: Inland Empire slows, LA stabilizes

REO declines this month were driven by:

• San Bernardino: One of the sharpest MoM pullbacks
• Riverside: Slowing REO conversion despite persistent distress
• Los Angeles: Stabilized, showing neither a surge nor collapse

Investor insight

California’s REOs are cooling, suggesting longer foreclosure timelines and fewer quick-turn opportunities.

Ohio: Columbus and Cincinnati shift

• Franklin County (Columbus) posted a surprise increase—one of the few counties to rise this month.
• Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) dropped, reflecting fewer auctions converting to REO.
• Hamilton County (Cincinnati) remained steady.

Investor insight

Columbus continues to emerge as Ohio’s most dynamic foreclosure market.

North Carolina: Volatility across major metros

• Mecklenburg County (Charlotte) saw a meaningful MoM REO decline.
• Wake County (Raleigh) followed the same pattern.
• Cumberland County (Fayetteville) experienced the steepest drop.

Investor insight

North Carolina is still growing YoY, but November marks a clear slowdown in REO conversion.

Texas: The biggest REO story in America

Texas delivered one of the most dramatic county-level stories of the month:

• Harris County (Houston) saw REO volume surge sharply MoM.
• Dallas and Tarrant Counties (DFW) also reported substantial increases.
• Bexar County (San Antonio) posted a strong jump, consistent with its rising auction activity.

Investor insight

Texas continues to convert distress into REO at record speed—ideal for investors seeking bank-owned opportunities.

How Investors Can Use REO Data to Advance Their Strategy

1. Identify markets where inventory is increasing

Rising REOs often lead to:

• More distressed listings.
• Increased negotiation leverage.
• Expanded buying opportunities.

2. Target counties where conversion is fastest

Counties with rapid Start > NOS > REO progression are ideal for:

3. Track lender behavior

Banks with growing REO portfolios may:

• Price listings more aggressively.
• Offer incentives.
• Prioritize faster closings.

4. Use REOs to build a tax-advantaged portfolio

Inside a Self-Directed IRA or Solo 401(k), REO investing may offer:

• Potential tax-deferred or tax-free rental income.
• Long-term appreciation.
• Structured loan strategies using non-recourse financing.

Take Control of Your Investment Strategy

REOs represent the end of the foreclosure cycle—but for investors, they can represent the beginning of opportunity. With clear inventory trends emerging across key states and counties, now is the time to study local patterns, evaluate property conditions, and be ready for new listings as they hit the market.

To learn how to invest in real estate using a Self-Directed IRA or Solo 401(k), visit: www.TrustETC.com/RealEstate

Equity Trust Company is a directed custodian and does not provide tax, legal, or investment advice. Any information communicated by Equity Trust is for educational purposes only, and should not be construed as tax, legal, or investment advice. Whenever making an investment decision, please consult with your tax attorney or financial professional.

BiggerPockets/PassivePockets is not affiliated in any way with Equity Trust Company or any of Equity’s family of companies. Opinions or ideas expressed by BiggerPockets/PassivePockets are not necessarily those of Equity Trust Company, nor do they reflect their views or endorsement. The information provided by Equity Trust Company is for educational purposes only. Equity Trust Company and their affiliates, representatives, and officers do not provide legal or tax advice. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Please consult your tax and legal advisors before making investment decisions. Equity Trust and BiggerPockets/PassivePockets may receive referral fees for any services performed as a result of being referred opportunities

Dave:
Real estate investing is about to get easier, much easier in 2026. Deals are getting easier to find. Homes are sitting on the market longer. Rates are actually starting to come down and buyers finally have more choices. But the average American may miss this. Many people are looking at the housing market and they don’t like what they see. Meanwhile, small investors, they’re buying, they’re building wealth, and they’re more optimistic about 2026 than ever. So what do they know that the average American doesn’t? What opportunities are appearing in the market that you don’t want to miss? We’re breaking it all down today in the 2026 state of real estate investing. I’m going to give you the exact strategies that are primed to work in 2026. I’ll share my vision of the housing market and where we’re heading, and I’ll explain why waiting for a crash may be the single most expensive mistake that you can make.
The 2026 state of real estate investing starts now.
Hey, everyone. Welcome to the BiggerPockets Podcast and happy new year. I’m Dave Meyer, investor, analyst, and head of real estate investing at BiggerPockets. It is so great to start a new year here on the BiggerPockets Podcast with all of you. This is an exciting time of year. It’s time to set ambitious goals, to map out your plans for the year and to put yourself on track towards the life you want for yourself and for your family. But I want to just start by saying, I think there are good opportunities coming for real estate investors in 2026. These are better opportunities that I’ve seen honestly in years, and it just gets me excited in general to be in this industry at this time. So in our show today, that’s what we’re going to be covering. I’m going to run through my state of real estate investing report as I do every year.
It’s basically my outlook for the housing market and investing conditions for the year. I’ll share my personal strategy that I am working on for 2026. We’re going to talk about better inventory that’s on the market, better deal flow, better cash flow possibilities out there. Yes, that is absolutely happening. We’ll talk about improving affordability, the outlook for housing prices and mortgage rates, whether you should wait for a crash and more. We do have a packed episode today and I want to get right into it, but first, I just have a little bit of a teaser for you because on Wednesday show, the next show that comes out, we have a fun announcement to make. I personally could not be more excited about this announcement. It is a huge win for this show and the BiggerPockets community, but I will say no more. You got to tune in on Wednesday.
So with that, let’s get into our 2026 state of real estate investing. So what is the state of real estate investing in 2026? If I had to pick just one word for it, I always try and just narrow it down to one word. And my word for 2026 is improving. Things are getting better for real estate investors after several tough years. I doubt I need to tell any of you this, but deals over the last couple years, they’ve been pretty hard to find. Cash flow has been tough. Financing is hard. Uncertainty has been super high and nothing is perfect. We still have a long way to go in the housing market to get back to normal, to get back to healthy, but it does in many ways feel like we’ve turned a corner, at least from my perspective. I am personally not super bothered by a modest correction in the housing market like the one I think we’re in.
I actually think this is a step in the right direction to a more affordable, a more predictable, a more productive housing market. And at the same time, those changes makes investing easier for real estate investors because every single market has its trade-offs. When things are going up like crazy, like it was during the pandemic, yeah, it can boost returns. That is the benefit of that kind of market. But there’s also a downside to those kinds of market where deal flow was hard. Cashflow was harder to find. Now we’re transitioning and we’re sort of getting the opposite, right? Maybe appreciation is not going to be great over the next couple years, and we’ll talk about that. But that means at the same time, there’s better inventory. Great assets are on sale right now. There’s less competition. So let’s look a little bit at some of these specific things that are improving for real estate investors.
The first one, like I said, is deal flow. I think this is the thing that gets me really excited right now because it has been a slog looking for deals since at least 2022, maybe even earlier. Even during 2020 and 2021, it was hard to find good deals. But right now, inventory is getting better. That means there are more homes for sale on the market. It’s not crazy. It’s not like we’re seeing some flood of inventory that’s going to lead to a crash, but it’s getting better. That means there are more options for us as real estate investors to choose from. Affordability is going up. This one just honestly, it warms my heart. We have had years and years of declining affordability. You’ve probably heard me say this on the show, but housing affordability the last couple years have been near 40 year lows. And although we still have a long way to go, don’t get me wrong, housing is not affordable yet.
Just this last data that we have from October of 2025, it is the best affordability we’ve seen in three years. As investors, this really helps. We’re also seeing days on market go up. This leads to better negotiating leverage. When sellers are seeing their properties sit on the market longer and longer, it makes them more likely, more willing to cut a deal that also benefits us as real estate investors. The next one might surprise you, but cashflow is actually getting better. If you think about a correcting market like the one that we’re in, even if home prices in your local market are staying stagnant, but rents are continuing to grow, which on a national level they are. Most of the forecasts I’ve seen for rent expect modest rent growth in the next year. That means that cashflow prospects are getting better. Now, I’m not saying it’s back to 2019 levels.
It’s slow, but they’re starting to get better. And competition is going down because there’s just more homes on the market. Demand actually hasn’t come down that much, but since there is more supply on the market, that means relatively there is less competition. All these things combined, these are things that we can and should be celebrating. It is a reason, in my opinion, for optimism. And I am not the only one here. I look at these things and I don’t see, oh man, the housing market might be flat. Maybe it will decline a couple years and think, “Oh, this is risky.” I don’t see this so much as risk as I see it as opportunity, reason for optimism. Now, again, not everything’s great. Like with any market, there are trade-offs and this market is no exception. Prices are pretty stagnant. Prices might fall in some places.
So appreciation is going to be lower. I personally think the risk of a crash is relatively low. Affordability, even though it’s getting a little bit better, it’s still pretty rough out there. And rent growth, although I think most forecasters are saying it will go up a little bit, probably not going to be a banner year for rent growth in 2026. So given these trade-offs, the fact that deal flow is getting better, but there are some downsides to the market. How do we invest? How do we move forward in a market where there is both opportunity and there is risk? What do we do? Should we wait to get more clarity? Some people might advocate for that, but personally, I don’t think that’s the right strategy. First of all, and this is kind of always true, no market is without risk. That’s just not how it works.
That’s not how investing works. There is always risk. So just remember that you can’t wait for a perfect market because it’s never going to happen. And the second thing is that financial freedom isn’t going to find you. It’s not going to present itself all wrapped up in a perfect package. You have to go out and get it. And in my opinion, now is as good a time as any. So waiting, especially because I don’t personally think there’s going to be a crash, is not really going to help you. Instead, what you got to do is focus on what tactics and what strategies are going to work well in 2026. So we’re going to pivot our conversation to that, what works well in 2026, but we do need to take a quick break. We’ll be right back. As a real estate investor, the last thing I want to do, or the last thing I have time for is playing accountant, banker, and debt collector all at once.
But that’s what I was doing every weekend, flipping between a bunch of apps, bank statements and receipts, trying to sort it all out by property, figure out who’s late on rent. But then I found Baseline and it takes all of that off my plate. It’s BiggerPocket’s official banking platform that automatically sorts my transactions, matches receipts, and collects rent for every property. My tax prep is done, and my weekends are mine again. Plus, I’m saving a lot of money on banking fees and apps that I just don’t need anymore. Get a $100 bonus when you sign up today at baselane.com/bp.
Welcome back to the BiggerPockets Podcast. I’m Dave Meyer delivering the state of real estate investing for 2026. Before the break, I talked about why I feel like real estate investing is getting a bit easier. Deal flow is better. There are opportunities out there for investors who are willing to study the market, to learn from what has worked historically and to apply that to their own investing decisions and portfolios here in 2026. So let’s do that. Let’s talk about what’s going to work. Now, you’ve probably heard me say this before, but I think the housing market is in what I call the great stall. Affordability, although it’s getting a little bit better, is still pretty low. And to me, this is the major thing that drives the housing market. I talk about this all the time, but affordability is the big thing driving what happens in the housing market.
Now, some people point to low affordability and say, “Oh, this is the reason the market is going to crash.” That hasn’t happened yet. Affordability been low for three years now, and that hasn’t happened yet because there is an alternate way that affordability gets back to the market, and that’s what I call the great stall. Rather than seeing something dramatic or crazy like a crash in housing prices, you actually see a slower restoration of affordability through a combination of things happen. Number one, prices remain kind of flat for the next couple years. Now, they could be up 1%, they could be down 1% in the next year, but that’s, I call all of that relatively flat. I think the main thing that we need to look at here is whether on paper they go up 1% or down 1%, they are going up slower than wage growth.
And that is happening in the market right now. Wages are growing faster than the prices of homes. And that brings back affordability, right? Because if prices stay flat, but people are making more money, that slowly brings back affordability. That’s not something that’s going to happen super quickly because wage growth is something that happens relatively slowly, but that is going on right now. And hopefully that’s what’s going to continue into next year. On top of that, we’ve seen mortgage rates come down. I know not everyone’s super excited about it, but one year ago in January of 2025, rates were at seven and a quarter. They’re 1% lower now at six and a quarter. And that’s obviously way higher than they were during the pandemic, but that is a significant improvement. That brings millions of people back into the housing market. And this dynamic of slowly improving affordability in the housing market is what I think we are in for in the next year or two.
This is why I call it the great stall because I don’t think it’s quick and I don’t think it’s going to be dramatic. I think prices are kind of just going to stall out for another year or two, might be even three. I can’t predict that far out, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Let’s just put it that way. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw real home prices, inflation adjusted home prices kind of be slow, kind of be flat for the next couple of years. Now, what is happening, this great stall could be called a correction. I have often called it that because when real home prices are down and have been for a few years, I think that’s a correction. But before we get into what strategies work in the Great Stall, because there are tons of strategies that work in the Great Stall, I think we have more options now as investors that we have.
This market actually works for a lot of different strategies, and we’ll talk about that in a minute. But I do want to address the crash fear because this narrative is just constantly out there. So I understand this narrative because the last time we had a correction in the housing market, it was a crash.That’s what happened in 2008, but that is not normal. And since the Great Depression, we have had one time where the market has really crashed, that’s in 2008, but corrections where real home prices go flat for long periods of time, that is not just something that’s possible. It’s actually quite normal. You can Google this, but you can go look at real home prices over time. Seeing periods of flat home prices is the normal way where affordability is restored to the market. So I just want to say that there is precedence for this.
The other thing I want to say is that there is just no evidence right now that a crash is going to happen. If you look at inventory levels, they were rising last year, they’ve kind of leveled out for right now. New listings, those have leveled out. They’re about even year over year. Delinquencies, a crucial predictor of a crash, remain below pre-pandemic levels. Foreclosures remain below pre-pandemic levels. Credit quality for the average American homeowner is high right now. People are paying their mortgage and demand is actually resilient. The last reading we have for, it’s back into 2025, showed that demand for housing is actually up year over year. I know people say, “Oh, there’s a crash no one’s buying.” That’s not true. We actually had an increase in home sales in 2025 over 2024. The reason I’m telling you this is that the fundamentals of the market are holding up.
They’re not supporting rapid appreciation. I’m not saying that, but the idea that the bottom is going to fall out of the market is not supported by any data. It’s not supported by any information. It is fear that is driving those ideas. And as investors, we can’t make our decisions based on fear. We have to base it on data and information and experience, and that’s what we’re going to do. So we are in a correction, and yeah, some people might see that as negative, but I don’t. I think it means we’re getting assets at better prices, right? And although the risk of a crash is not zero, it’s pretty low and prices will eventually recover. And that’s why I see this as a buying opportunity. I think we’re in a good time to start acquiring assets if you are a long-term buy and hold investor. If you’re a flipper, there’s going to be some risks because selling right now is a little bit hard.
But if you are a buy and hold investor, I see this as a good time and I am not the only one here. So if you’re sitting there thinking about 2026, feeling optimistic, feeling like it’s the time to buy, that it’s a great time to get into real estate, you’re not alone. The aggregate BiggerPockets community is feeling the same way. I am feeling the same way. I get to talk to professional real estate investors all the time and they are feeling the same way. But we got to talk about how you do this right. How do you grow in 2026 in a way that moves you towards those goals that takes advantage of these opportunities, but while still respecting and recognizing some of the risks that are out there, because you got to respect the current market and you got to take what it’s giving you.
And here’s what I think that looks like. I’ve been using a framework or a playbook that I’ve been talking about for a little while now, and I want to share it with you. It basically combines four basic principles. It’s what I’ve been doing since 2025, and it worked for me in 2025, and I think it’s going to work for me in 2026, so I’m going to keep doing the same thing. No need to change it up if it’s already working. Number one is, yes, the market is uncertain. There is chance that it will decline a little bit. There’s chance that we’ll have a melt up, but I think the most prudent decision right now is to plan for the great stall. You got to plan for slow or no appreciation and rank growth in the next few years. Now, I know that doesn’t sound exciting, but if you plan for it, it’s totally fine.
The worst thing you can do is go out and invest, assuming that we’re going to have amazing appreciation and rent growth and basing your underwriting and investing decisions on that. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe that will happen, but basing your decisions on that optimism is not what I would do. I’m optimistic about the market because I think there’s better deal flow, but I am not particularly optimistic about appreciation or rent growth in the next couple of years, and that’s totally okay. We have to mitigate that risk. We do it upfront. We do it as we’re looking for deals. We do it in our underwriting. If you address it right up here and say, “Hey, appreciation’s probably going to be slow,” then it’s okay. You just don’t want to be caught flatfooted in a year or two and say, “Oh my God, I bought this deal, assuming there was going to be appreciation and there isn’t, and now I’m in a bad spot.” You can avoid that.
You don’t need to take on that risk by planning for the great stall and assuming that appreciation and rent growth are going to be slow. We can absolutely invest around that. That’s what we’re talking about right now. So that’s pillar number one, plan for the great stall. The next pillar of investing in 2026, the framework I’m using is to have modest short-term expectations. I personally think that even in the last couple of years before things started to get better, the biggest challenge in real estate has not been the market or deal flow or high mortgage rates. It has been expectations. People have been chasing returns that are not coming back. Sorry to say it, but the deal you can do in 2018 or 2021, it’s probably not coming back and that’s fine, right? That was a magical time. I call it the Goldilocks era because everything was perfect during that time.
And just because we’ve moved from perfect to normal does not mean that you can’t invest. So what I want people to remember is that having modest cashflow in the first year of your portfolio, that’s normal. Having modest appreciation on an average year, that’s normal. The average appreciation rate in the United States is 3.5%, whereas inflation is two, 2.5%. So when you look at the average of appreciation compared to inflation of long-term, it’s like 1%. That is normal. And these are the expectations that we need to have. And if you’re thinking that’s not good enough, well, real estate investing has worked for decades, for centuries with exactly these kinds of conditions. And even with these modest short-term expectations for returns, they’re still going to beat the stock market. They’re probably still going to beat what else you can do with your money. It’s still the best way to pursue financial freedom.
So I encourage people to adjust their expectations in the short-term, but keep your long-term expectations high. So those are the first two parts of the framework, probably for the great stall, and have modest short-term expectations, but keep your long-term expectations high because that’s the game. That’s what we’re actually going for. The third pillar here is to underwrite conservatively. I’ve been saying this a lot recently, but I know a lot of people say you shouldn’t play scared. I think you should right now. I think that it makes a lot of sense to be very, very picky. This is part of planning for the great stall, but I am underwriting with no appreciation next year. I’m going to underwrite for probably no rent growth, no market rent growth. If I do a renovation and bring markets up to market rent, that’s a different story, but I am not assuming that there are going to be macroeconomic conditions that are going to give me this tailwind to boost my rent, and that’s okay.
There are deals that work with these conservatively underwritten ideas, and those are the ones you want to buy. For me, that’s what gives me confidence in this kind of market, because we’re in a market that’s correcting. Prices could go down next year. They could go down one or 2%. Vacancies could go up this year. Rents might not grow. And again, all of those things are okay if you bake them into your assumptions. If you go into that and say, “My business plan is to buy a great asset, and even if rents don’t grow for a year or two, I’m okay because I’m still getting cashflow and it’s going to be a great asset in five to 10 years,” that’s the right mindset. This is not the market to go in and have rose tinted glasses. You don’t want to go into this and say, “Oh my God, there was this one comp that’s getting $2,600 a month.
I think I can get 2,600 a month too.” No, don’t do that. If everyone else is renting at 23 or 24, put your expenses underwrite at 23 and 24. Be conservative in your underwriting. This is the way that you protect yourself against downside risk that is in the market, but still take advantage of the inventory, the deal flow, the negotiating leverage that’s going to give you good deals this year. That to me is absolutely crucial. The last pillar of my strategy is to focus on upsides, right? I’m not just doing this to get average deals with conservative numbers, right? I am comfortable with those deals because they still make me money. If I underwrite conservatively and I’m doing this right, even in a bad year, quote unquote, bad year in the housing market, I’m still earning a positive return with those conservative deals. That’s awesome.
But I want to give myself a chance to take this from a single or a double to a home run, and that’s where the upsides come in. Those I’ve talked about on the show, I’ve put out multiple shows about what I consider the upside era. These are things like looking for areas where you can build in the path of progress. This is things like areas where you can bring up rents to market rents. That’s a really good upside. These are things like zoning upsides, or my personal favorite right now, which is really buying below market comps. I think this is a real key, a real hack for buying in this kind of market, because if you’re concerned that prices are going to go down two or 3% year over year, reasonable concern, then buy two to 3%, at least by 5%, buy 6% below market comps right now.
This might sound pie in the sky like, sure, everyone wants to buy under market comps, but it’s possible right now. This is the benefit of the great stall. Things are sitting on the market longer. You get to negotiate. Not every seller’s going to do it, but some of them are. And I want to call out, I’m not saying that you should focus on buying below list price because people can list their property for anything they want. You need to do your own analysis, figure out what a property is worth, and buy 5% below.That’s a great hack. And if prices don’t come down 5%, you’re walking into equity. That’s an upside. This is a way both of mitigating risk and gathering upside. But there are plenty of different upsides that you can look at, adding capacity, like I said, path of progress, rent growth, zoning upside, owner-occupied strategies to save on living costs.
These are all ways to take your deals that you underwrite conservatively that have modest short-term expectations and give you that opportunity to hit a home run in the long run. Our long-term expectations stay high. And the way you get a deal that works now in this era, low risk, but you hit those long-term expectations is by focusing on the upsides. So this is the framework that I’ve been using. It’s been working for me for a while, and I’m sticking with it. But within this framework, there’s a lot of different things that you can do. Notice that I didn’t say you got to do Burr or you can’t flip or you can’t do short-term rentals. Many of these strategies are possible. Many of these strategies can work, but some of them may not. So let’s talk about which tactics and which strategies actually fit within this framework because there might be more than you actually think, but we do have to take one more quick break.
We’ll be right back. The Cashflow Roadshow is back. Me, Henry, and other BiggerPockets personalities are coming to the Texas area from January 13th to 16th. We’re going to be in Dallas. We’re going to be in Austin. We’re going to Houston and we have a whole slate of events. We’re definitely going to have meetups. We’re doing our first ever live podcast recording of the BiggerPockets Podcast. And we’re also doing our first ever one-day workshop where Henry and I and other experts are going to be giving you hands-on advice on your personalized strategy. So if you want to join us, which I hope you will, go to biggerpockets.com/texas. You can get all the information and tickets there. Welcome back to the BiggerPockets Podcast. I’m Dave Meyer talking about the state of real estate investing here in 2026. And as you know, since you’ve been listening, I am optimistic about it.
I’ve shared with you my outlook for the market, which is the great stall and my framework for investing in the great stall, which is to plan for it, to have modest short-term expectations, but high long-term expectations, to underwrite conservatively and to focus on upsides. Now, within that framework, there are a lot of tactics that could work, and I want to talk about which ones I think are going to work the best. These are in no particular order, but I’m just going to give you some tactics that I think you should consider in 2026. Number one is value add investing is going to continue to be important. Value add, which some people call sweat equity, some people called it forced appreciation, but it’s basically just the idea of buying something that is below its highest and best use. It’s not optimized and optimizing it yourself. And usually, if you’re doing it right, you can optimize it in a way that you are building more equity than it costs you to make that optimization, right?
This is the entire idea of flipping. You buy a house that needs work, you renovate it, and you drive up the equity buy more than what it costs. And I just think generally speaking, value add investing is going to be important during this year. Now, this can take different forms. This can be in the form of Burr. This could be for flipping. We’ll talk about that a little bit because there are risks in flipping, but I think the Burr is going to be really good strategy here in 2026, but it’s also true for existing portfolios too. If you have properties that you own and you want to optimize them, value add is still a great way to drive up equity and increase your rents for rental property investors. Value add works, I think, in almost any market conditions, but one thing that happens in a correction in a great stall is that properties that aren’t up to their higher and best use, those prices tend to fall.
But the properties that are really good, that are really nice, tend to maintain their value better. And that creates a bigger spread, right? Bigger spread between what you can buy properties for and what you can sell them for or rent them out for. That’s a great tactic for 2026. I think it fits well into my framework. A second strategy that works is some of these cashflow accelerants. Now, cashflow has been hard to come by. I think it’s going to get better for long-term rentals, but that’s going to come slowly. There are some ways that you can sort of supercharge that from co-living and midterm rentals. I think these are interesting ideas right now. The midterm rental market is a little saturated in some places, but there are definitely still markets where this can work. And if you want to be a little bit more active in managing your portfolio, midterm rentals can work.
The other one is either co-living or rent by the room. They’re the same kind of thing, but basically you take a single family home, for example, has four or five bedrooms, and rather than leasing it to one tenant, you lease it to four tenants. They each rent their own bedroom. And this is a way that you can generate more cash, more rental income for your properties and boost your cash flow. This just definitely works. Doesn’t work in every market. You have to find markets where there is demand for this kind of housing, usually big, more expensive markets. You have to be willing to take on a little bit of a management premium. It’s going to be a little bit harder to manage these kinds of properties, but if you want to boost your cashflow, this could definitely work in 2026. Another tactic I really like is looking for zoning upside.
You’ve heard me talk about this before, but I think DADUs, adding ADUs are a great way to go. Here in Seattle, there’s a lot of split level homes. You can take split levels and section them off into two different units. That’s a great way to add value to boost your cash flow, or a lot of cities are completely rewriting their zoning code to allow for more density in their cities, and these are great upsides. If you can buy a property that is cash flowing in day one, but has the potential next year, even five years, 10 years down the road to add another building, to add more units onto it, that’s a great way to take a good deal today and turn it into a home run in the long run. I love that. I mentioned this earlier, but I I personally still think burrs are great.
I think this is just 101 real estate investing. Buy a rental property, fix it up, rent it out, and then refinance it. You know this. If you listen, I love the idea of a slow bur. I do not have the expectation that I’m going to be able to refinance 100% of my capital out of these deals. I’m not even in a hurry to do it. I buy deals where there are tenants in place and I let them live there as long as they want. And when they leave, I will renovate it and bring market rents up to market rate. I might do some structural rehab to make it a better quality property for tenants who want to stay a long time. But it might take me a year or two years to fully stabilize this property, but it takes so much risk off the table.
I can buy these properties using conventional financing. That is such a big advantage. If you do a Burr, there’s no tenants in place. It’s really structurally unsound. It needs a lot of work. You might need to get hard money for that. That’s a 12%, 13% interest rate. You’re going to need to pay two points upfront. You’re paying a lot of money in holding costs. When I buy one of these BERS, I’m getting a conventional mortgage on it. I’m paying six and a half percent. That saves me so much money. It allows me to get cashflow and allows me to take my time because I’m making cash flow. I’m amortizing. I’m getting tax benefits. I’m getting all of that in the meantime while I’m opportunistic about when I do my BER. So if I had to pick one strategy for 2026, that would be it, the slow BER.
So just as a mindset, value add, BERS, midterm rentals, co-living, I like all of these tactics. Other tactics can still work, but I do want to be honest that there is a little bit more risk here. Short-term rentals, people still do it. People are still successful with them, but the short-term rental industry is struggling right now. I think we’ve all seen this. There is a lot of supply on the market right now. It is pushing down occupancy, is pushing down average daily rents. I have a short-term rental. I’ll tell you that in 2025, it did not perform as well as it did in 2024. And I expect that to continue. You also see markets that are saturated in short-term rentals seeing the steepest corrections. Now, if you are a long-term investor, that could mean opportunity, but you have to be careful. So I think short-term rentals can work, but I would really stick to those principles that I said before about underwriting very conservatively.
If I were buying a short-term rental right now, I wouldn’t even count on my occupancy rate being the same from 2025 to 2026. I would assume a decrease in occupancy rate. I would assume a decrease in average daily rents just to be safe. This is an industry that has risk in it. Doesn’t mean there’s not opportunity. Those things go together. Risk and reward go together. But I would be very careful about short-term rentals. The second thing is commercial real estate. We’ve seen crashes here. Prices are good in commercial real estate, right? But there is still risk. We don’t know where the bottom is coming in commercial. And unlike the housing market, which I think has a solid floor, I’d be surprised if we saw national home prices go down more than three or 4% next year. I’d be surprised. But commercial just has more to fall.
There’s more upside here too because it could rebound. So I’m actually personally kind of excited about commercial real estate. I’m going to be looking at bigger multifamilies in the next year, but I am going to be very careful about it. And I recommend people do that as well because there are some really bad deals out there. There are really overpriced commercial real estate properties right now, but I think there will be more and more good deals. So this is something you can consider, but with caution. Same thing for the last strategy here, which is flipping. I flipped two houses last year. I actually knew it was going to be a rough market and I did it anyway because I wanted to learn how to do it. Managed to make some money off of those, so I’m happy about that. But the market is weird right now.
People’s buying demand is up and down every single week. And it’s hard in flipping because you need to be able to sell into a correcting market. And even though I’ve been optimistic this year, the reason I like 2026 and say it’s getting easier is because it’s getting easier to buy. It is not getting easier to sell. It is getting harder to sell. And so that is a consideration that you need to think about if you’re flipping a home. You need to be able to take advantage of what the market’s giving you and buy lower than you have in the last couple of years because when you go to sell it, it could take longer. You might not get the ARV that you were expecting. And so flipping still works, but do it cautiously and again, be really picky about those things. So those are the tactics that I think will work, some that I think are going to be a little bit riskier, but I also wanted to add just a couple other things here too that don’t fall under the traditional buckets of strategy that we talk about.
And that’s just kind of mindset. I really encourage people. What’s going to work right now is a long-term mindset. Thinking about buying assets that you want to hold onto for a long time is great. I’ve sold some assets in the last year that they weren’t performing badly, but I’m thinking, “Hey, how do I stock up on the stuff that I want to own in 2040?”That’s kind of the mindset I’m thinking about right now. When I do a Burr, when I buy a rental property, when I consider commercial properties, that’s the mindset that I’m taking. And I’ve said before, I only buy cashflowing properties. I’m not going to buy something that doesn’t cash flow after stabilization. Not saying that you should go out and speculate, but I am saying look at deals and look at their long-term potential more than thinking about whether they’re going to maximize your cash on cash return in the next year.
Another mindset thing, like I said, buying under market comps, I think that’s a tactic that’s going to be super important right now. And then fixed rate debt. I love fixed rate debt. I know some people will be tempted right now to get adjustable rate mortgages because it comes with a slightly lower mortgage rate. But I’ll just be honest, I think it’s a toss up. If you look five to 10 years from now, it’s a toss up if mortgage rates are going to be higher or lower. I don’t think people think it’s going to be lower, but that’s a recency bias. I just want to call that out. Mortgage rates have been much higher in the past. And if you look at our national debt and some trends that are going on, I think there’s a very good chance that mortgage rates are higher in a couple of years and that’s okay if you plan for it now.
Like I said just a minute ago, my whole approach is long term. What do I want to own 10 years from now, 15 years from now? And the last thing I want is to own a great asset that I want to hold onto. And then when I get my arm comes up and my rate adjusts in seven years, all of a sudden I can’t afford to hold onto that. I don’t like it. I want to buy with fixed rate debt because that way I know I can hold onto it for 10 years. I have no concerns that I’m going to be able to hold onto this 10, 15, 20 years from now. That’s what I want to be focused on. So that’s just another thing I want to caution because people talk a lot about what assets they’re buying. The financing is really important. And I have done interest only loans.
I have done adjustable rate mortgages in certain circumstances. But I think for most people, if you’re buying a rental property that you want to hold onto, heavily consider fixed rate debt. 30-year fixed rate is a great loan product and it is what I recommend to most people most of the time. So those are generally the tactics that I think are going to work. I’ve kind of tell you, but I’ll just reiterate what my plan is. I don’t really have any big reveals year. I’m going to do what I’ve been doing in the upside era so far. Plan it for the great stall. I have low short-term expectations, but I am still buying only things that cashflow after stabilization. I don’t have to have day one cash flow, but after I renovate them, they need to have solid cash flow. And I’m going to be very picky about looking for those deals.
And I target three to four upsides in every single deal. That’s the playbook. That’s what’s been working for me. And I think it’s going to keep working. I’m not a super high volume buyer at this stage of my career. I have a solid portfolio. It’s been working for me, but I look to keep buying. I’m probably going to buy maybe two to four new properties this year, ideally small multifamily properties. That’s kind of my goal. I might buy a bigger property. I’ve been looking at some eight units, some 16 unit kind of things. I would consider those as well. And I’m mostly going to look at slow burs. Might not be sexy to everyone, but to me, that’s what works. I like sticking with what works. I don’t need to take on any additional risk. I just think that’s a low risk, high upside way to invest, and that’s what I’m going to be pursuing.
I may also flip another property or two. I did too in Seattle last year that went pretty well. I allocate some of my portfolio money each year into what I would call risk capital, and I may choose to put that into flips this year, but I don’t need to do them. If I don’t find any deals, I’m not going to be thirsty. I’m not going to stretch for these deals. I’m going to keep playing my long game for sure, but if a screaming deal comes my way, I’m going to take it. So that’s the state of real estate investing in 2026. Things are going to get a little bit easier. The market won’t be sexy. Mainstream people might not see these opportunities, but there will be opportunities. Deals are going to be easier to find. Cashflow prospects are slowly improving. Negotiating leverage is back. You can afford to be patient and it is vital that you are because there is some short-term risk.
There are things that you have to mitigate, but you absolutely can if you follow the framework I’ve put forth in today’s episode. And just keep remembering, the long-term outlook remains strong. There is no such thing as a perfect market. Every market has trade-offs. It is your job to figure out what the market is offering you. And I hope this episode gets you off to a great start to 2026, but rest assured, we are going to keep you updated on what tactics are working, how to mitigate risk, and how to pursue financial freedom in a solid, predictable, but exciting way each and every week here on BiggerPockets for the rest of 2026. Thank you guys so much for being here for our first show of 2026. Remember to tune in on Wednesday. We have a fun and exciting announcement for the BiggerPockets Podcast community. I’m Dave Meyer.
We’ll see you next time.

 

Ashley:
Our guest today was at navigating life as a full-time caregiver to her daughter battling leukemia. But when a Zillow listing popped up during a medical trip to New Orleans, she found a $60,000 house and a whole new future.

Tony:
And today’s guest, Jane Ing, went from an accidental $8,000 wholesale to building luxury short-term rentals and now cash flows over six grand per month. And she did it all while raising not one, not two, but three kids and never stepping foot inside of her.

Ashley:
This is The Real Estate Rookie Podcast. I’m Ashley Kehr.

Tony:
And I’m Tony J. Robinson. And with that, let’s give a big warm welcome to Jane. Jane, thank you so much for joining us on The Rookie Podcast today.

Jane:
Thank you for having me.

Ashley:
Jane, your real estate story really starts out with something heartbreaking. Your daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. Can you take us through that moment of when you got that news and how did that news shift everything for your family and for you personally?

Jane:
Yeah, it’s a moment that as a parent you could never prepare for. Especially as a mother, it was the first time in my life I felt completely helpless. And I knew that in that moment there’s nothing I can do to change our reality and there’s no amount of money or education or knowledge or connections that we had that would change what we just heard. She has leukemia. It is what it is. And yeah, honestly, I’ve never felt so helpless in my life.

Tony:
Jane, first, thank you for sharing that with us because I’m sure it was a difficult time. I’m sure it just kind of makes you reassess everything when you get that kind of news. I guess before that diagnosis, what did life kind of look like for you and what changes did you have to make afterwards as you guys navigated this new reality?

Jane:
So my husband and I were both working, pretty demanding W2 jobs. At that time, we just had two kids. So Ashley, my daughter who was diagnosed, she was three and a half. My younger daughter was two. Our son wasn’t born at that time. And because my husband and I were so busy, our girls were in daycare from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. And in hindsight, I can’t imagine them now that they’re all much older. I can’t imagine them being out of the house for 11 hours a day, but that was our reality. We were both so busy, both climbing the corporate ladder. And to be honest, we both enjoyed our W2 jobs. And I know most people get into real estate because they want to leave their W2, but we really enjoyed what we were doing. So I have a background in hospitality and in business.
And so after grad school, I worked for different hotels. One of them was Caesar’s Entertainment where I learned … It was actually really fun because we learned everything about the hotel side, the gaming side, restaurants, spas, golf. You learn everything and it’s super, super exciting. And I worked for smaller boutique hotels, but right before my daughter was diagnosed, I was actually working for Uber and my team was in charge of launching Uber Eats in different cities. And so we were working with the general managers of each different city and figuring out which restaurants we wanted to target and how the operations of all of that work. So it was really fun, so dynamic, but I had to give it up all in a matter of seconds.

Tony:
So Jane, as you’re climbing the corporate ladder, and obviously it seems like you and your husband are both doing well, and this news comes in and kind of shifts everything for you. Obviously the first priority is just focusing on your daughter’s health. And I guess give us an update, Jane, how are things today before we even talk about the real estate further?

Jane:
Yeah. So it’s been 10 years since the diagnosis, and thankfully she is alive. She’s doing relatively well, but she suffered a lot of complications during treatment. And this is one of those things where all the doctors we had, they’re like, “Oh, this stuff, it’s not even in the medical books, the stuff that she’s going through.” And when your child’s diagnosed, they give you different sheets of paper that say, “Here are some of the potential side effects of the chemo that she’s getting.” Most likely she might have fevers and rashes and they have … So they categorize it by most likely, likely, and here is a less than 1% chance she’s going to have these symptoms. She had symptoms that were not on the paper. And a lot of what … So without going into all the details of her story, she had leukemia, but she had a very specific type that was resistant to chemo.
So not only did she have to go through three times the amount of chemo, most leukemia patients would go through, but that wasn’t enough. They said chemo wouldn’t kill the cancer, so she needed a bone marrow transplant. And thankfully that put her in remission. And I was actually her donor because we couldn’t find a perfect match. And so UCSF, the hospital we were at, they were doing clinical trials that allowed a parent to be a donor because by definition, you are like half mom and half dad. So my husband and I were both like a 50% match and it put her in remission, but she was left without an immune system for maybe six months. And during that time, she caught a virus and most of us are able to, you have a little cold or runny nose, her body just couldn’t fight it. And that virus went straight to her brain and it just started causing all these issues.
And we didn’t know because there’s no way of knowing that there’s any brain damage other than, “Oh, this kid is acting a little weird.” So she was sleeping 20 hours a day and it just didn’t feel right. And so after all these tests, we did an MRI and they saw tumors, bleeding, so much pressure. The amount of pressure her brain had at that time was already past the threshold of what a person could handle. And so they immediately put her in the PICU for safety. And I think my husband, this happened so quickly. We didn’t realize what this meant. We’re like, “Why are you putting her in the PICU?” And they said, “Well, we fear for her safety.” We’re like, “Well, what do you mean? She’s barely moving. She’s not going to … ” I thought they meant she’s going to fall off her bed or something like that type of safety.
“No, we’re not sure how many days she has left.
“And it was a shock. We didn’t know that’s how bad it got and got there very, very quickly. So we had a couple options. We had one option to keep her comfortable with just a steady drip of morphine and just kind of wait till the last day comes, or we could try a little bit of radiation to her brain and spine to see if that’s going to kill the virus and at least stop everything from getting worse. And of course, that’s the path that we chose. And they’re like, ” This is not guaranteed at all. We’re really just kind of trying whatever we can think of, but it worked. “And so that was kind of when her recovery started, but the brain damage was so severe that even though they say kids’ brains are plastic and you can relearn a lot of these things, basically the way they explained it to us was all the freeways in her brain where information passes, the freeways are broken.
And so information just can’t pass from one cell to another cell. It’s hard to pass. And so today she has basically every disability you can think of, like physical, intellectual, social, developmental, everything. She goes to a special needs school, which is amazing. They take very, very good care of her. But my husband and I had to come to the realization that she’ll never be an independent adult. And so we will always have to care for her in some form. And so that’s just something that we had to realize and accept. And she’s 13 now, so we’ll just figure out what happens, what happens next for her.

Tony:
Parents. And I’m getting choked up listening to your story because I can only imagine the emotions you guys felt as you went through that. But I mean, just kudos to you guys for saying positive through all of that. I think the question that I have for you is, and this isn’t even necessarily about real estate investing, but so often we find ourselves at moments in our life where it can feel maybe a little hopeless or it’s just like, ” Why me? “And we can kind of fall into that trap of feeding into those negative thoughts. How did you guys push past that? And this is just a life lesson for everyone that’s listening because maybe not to the extent that you guys did, but we all have challenges that we end up facing in life. And I think how we respond in those moments is so indicative of what life looks like on the other side.
How did the two of you just together have that dialogue to say, okay, here’s how we’re going to move past this?

Jane:
Yeah, it’s a really good question because we’ve certainly met a lot of parents in similar situations along the way and everyone handles it a little bit differently. And we’ve kind of seen how if it’s kind of not the glasses half full thought, it could be very, very detrimental. So my husband and I, we’re both Christian and for us, our faith was pivotal. And without it, I don’t know where we would be today. And so as much as the situation sucked, we truly believe there’s a reason and that’s outside of our control, obviously, but also beyond our comprehension. I don’t know why.
That was basically, I think, trusting that and knowing that, okay, this is the child that God gave us and no matter what happens to us, it’s our job to be the best parents we can be for her. And if we are sad and angry and upset and depressed and going through all these negative emotions, we cannot show up for her the way she needs us because even the days where she couldn’t speak in the hospital, she can very much sense our presence and she can read the room very well. If we’re all having very serious conversations, her face changes a little bit. But if we’re playing music and singing and dancing, and even though she can’t participate, her face looks a little bit different. There’s a little bit of joy in her face. And so we knew that she was so, so young, we knew that we had to show up for her in a way that she needed.
And also for our other daughter at that time, she was two. She has no clue what’s going on. And Tony, I know your girls are really young, so I don’t know exactly how old they are. Maybe they’re roughly the same age, but so you can imagine, right? They’re so young, they cannot comprehend what’s happening. And so we knew for their sake, both of them, the one that’s sick and the one that’s not sick, we just have to show up for them in the best way that we can.

Tony:
Incredible, I think, resilience and just mindset from you and your husband. And I’m literally kind of holding back tears here as I hear you talk through this because it is really a moving story and just … I hope people can listen and find solace in their own challenges that if you approach it with the right mindset, it doesn’t necessarily take away from how difficult the situation is, but it does, I think, allow you to move through it with the mindset of like, we can figure out a way to get through this. So I appreciate you sharing that story with us. Now, as you went through this journey, at some point, the corporate ladder wasn’t as important to climb and you made the transition into real estate. How did that even come about as you guys were going down this path of caring for your daughter?

Jane:
Yeah. So I realized as she was going through treatment and in this season of her life and also my life, my desires and my corporate dreams were just not important whatsoever. So that all went on the back burner. And to be honest, all I had the emotional capacity for was my family. I just didn’t have time to think about myself or anything else. It was just my daughter, my sick daughter, my healthy daughter, and my husband.That’s all I had the capacity for. And I was okay with that. I accept, this is not going to be the rest of my life. This is a season of my life where they really need me and I will be the mother, the wife, whatever in this situation for this season. And as she started getting better, we were no longer in this hyper scary situation where it was life or death.
We knew she was going to survive and we were going to bring her home, and now we’re just figuring out different therapies and treatments for her. In the back of my mind, I kind of thought, well, I would like to do something. I knew that I could never go back to the same type of corporate job because I would have to commute or I would have a boss. And because of all of her complications, she sees so many different doctors that I just can’t ask for permission every time to take her to those appointments. And I also like, those appointments have to come first over anything else. I can’t reschedule because I have to work.

Ashley:
And you’re not always given an option as to when your appointment can be either for a lot of those. Yeah.

Jane:
Yes, exactly. And so I knew I had to be my own boss and have some kind of a job where I dictated all the terms. I could work how much or as little as I want to. And my daughter and I were in New Orleans for a two-month medical treatment. And this is one of those things where obviously in hindsight, had she not gotten sick, we would not have been in New Orleans and none of this would’ve happened, but it all happened. So we were there for two months. The treatment made her super tired. And so during the day I would drive around, she’d take a nap in the car. I would just pull over wherever I was. I happened to pull over in a decent neighborhood right in front of a foresale sign. I looked it up on Zillow because I had nothing else to do.
And it was a decent three bed, two bathhouse for $200,000. And coming from the Bay Area, to be honest, I just didn’t know that those price points existed. And I know people living in most other parts of America are like, no, it’s pretty common. $200,000 is actually not that cheap. But for the Bay Area, I mean right now, even a fixer-upper is probably a million dollars. And so it was the first time I thought, oh, hey, we could afford real estate. We could afford an investment property in the Bay Area, we just couldn’t. And so I went down this rabbit hole of learning as much information as I possibly could, and it was all through BiggerPockets. I mean, this was back in 2020. So podcasts, I don’t think the rookie podcast existed at that time, but the main podcasts, books, blogs, I just absorbed myself in as much information as possible.
And that’s kind of how our journey started, but I didn’t plan to get into real estate. It was just kind of an accident.

Ashley:
So was that the property you ended up buying or was that just the one that led you to-

Jane:
No, no, because after I started doing my research, I realized, wait, $200,000 is expensive. This is actually not a good deal.

Ashley:
So Jane, you ended up taking on a rental in a new market, but what happens when this new market has some bad weather, bad tenants and burnout all before your first short-term rental? We’ll dive into it right after this break. Okay, so we’re back from our short break. Thank you guys so much for taking the time to check out our show sponsors. So Jane, what did you do next after seeing that listing? What made it feel like it was time to pursue your first deal?

Jane:
So I just became obsessed and I was on Zillow all the time. And since I knew I was physically in New Orleans for the next two months, I wanted the opportunity to actually see some of these homes if I could. So my first deal was an unexpected wholesale deal. I saw a property on Zillow for $120,000 and everything I learned from BiggerPockets told me if it has been often on the market multiple times or if it’s been sitting on the market for a really long time, then you can negotiate. Then the seller’s desperate. So I didn’t know anything about construction or renovating or anything, and I offered 60,000 and they accepted. And I was blown away, my realtor was blown away. But what happened next was I tried to get a loan because I was going to borrow it. It was going to be a pretty big construction project and I was trying to get a loan and none of the local lenders would lend to me for two reasons.
One, I was out of state and they just went through Katrina. And so they were a little bit traumatized and burned by what happened with Katrina. And so they were very, very cautious working with new out- of-state investors. So I was a new out- of-state investor and I had no track record. So those two went against me pretty, pretty hard and I couldn’t get a loan. So I talked to my realtor and I was in a position where I either had to move forward or get out of contract, but I knew it was such a good deal. I just couldn’t let it go. So my realtor and I found another investor who was interested for $68,000. So we did a same day double close, which I didn’t even know existed until that moment, where I bought it from the seller for 60 and the investor bought it from me for 68, and then a few days later I got a check in the mail for a little under $8,000.

Tony:
That is amazing that your very first deal was an 8K accidental wholesale transaction. And honestly, shout out to your agent for helping you find a buyer on the backend because there are a lot of agents who are like, they kind of looked down on wholesaling almost. So the fact that he or she was open to that and educated you on how to actually do that, I think was great. Let me ask Jan, and this is more of a technical question. Was it one closing where you just got an assignment fee or did you actually have to somehow fund that initial 60K purchase and then literally an hour later fund the second transaction for 68K because in the first scenario, you literally don’t need any cash because you’re just like a line item on the closing statement. But in that second scenario, you’ve actually got to have the 60K to close in that first deal to then turn around and resell it for 68.
So which of those two was it?

Jane:
It was the first scenario, so I didn’t have to bring anything to the closing table.

Tony:
That is fantastic. Man, what a great first deal. So I think a lot of people maybe would’ve stopped there. They’re like, “Eh, I jumped in, couldn’t figure this out, ” but you didn’t. So what happens after this 8K wholesale

Jane:
Deal? So I was even more fired up to get a property because this was not planned and I just made $8,000 from something I didn’t really plan on doing. And so I was like, “Hey, there’s a lot of things I can just figure out as I do it. ” I have BiggerPockets has given me enough background and education and knowledge, maybe like 80% and the 20% I just have to learn from doing it as I do it and different roadblocks happen, I just need to figure it out. So now I knew what wholesaling was because I just did it. So that same realtor introduced me to a local wholesaler whom I never met, but she sent me a deal for $50,000 in a little suburb outside of New Orleans and that was because it was wholesale had to be all cash, but it could have been fixed up, but it didn’t have to be.
So we chose not to. We did a cash out refi because I think it was worth like 75,000. So we got all of our money back. I had a tenant in for 800. Six months later, she stopped paying rent, so I had to evict her. And at that point, we did the renovation.

Ashley:
And how much did you have to spend on the renovation?

Jane:
I think 35. So we were all in about 85. And after the renovation, I rented it for $1,100 and a year and a half later we sold it for 110. Wow. That’s a pretty good one. And you were cash

Ashley:
Flowing, I

Jane:
Assume? Yes, we were cash flowing. Yes. And we also bought the two homes right next to it from the same wholesaler, and it was roughly the same numbers. Yeah. So our first handful of deals did pretty well.

Ashley:
Were you self-managing those properties or did you hire a property manager in the area?

Jane:
I had a property manager because I didn’t know about the self-managing thing. I just didn’t know that was even possible. In hindsight, I would’ve probably self-managed, but the property manager, their office was maybe three minutes from the house. And so it was just so convenient to hire them and they were great.

Ashley:
Yeah. That’s interesting that you say that, that you didn’t know that was an option. And I think sometimes we forget about those things because I didn’t know when I bought my first property that you could get a loan. I thought you either had to pay cash or borrow money from a friend or someone. I did not think that you could go to the bank and get a loan unless you were living in the property. So Tony, maybe we need to do an episode on some of these things that you may not know. And that’s a great point of you may not know that you can actually self-manage and there’s rental property management software out there that helps you do a lot of it. So now with these rentals, did you sell just one of them or did you end up selling all three of them and why did you decide to sell?

Jane:
I did sell all three of them. So I owned them for about a year and a half. And in that year and a half, we went through two hurricanes and that was two hurricanes too many. And the second hurricane, I don’t remember what it was called, but it literally went through my street. And thankfully it missed our homes by like 20 feet, but it was too scary. And so I just wasn’t interested because I knew these weren’t going to be the last hurricanes, right? It’s Louisiana. Hurricanes are going to happen. So we decided to sell them. We did 1031s into two different assets. So we invested in long-term rentals in Little Rock, Arkansas. So we still have three homes there. And then we also decided to buy our first short-term rental in California.

Tony:
Janet, I just want to ask a few follow-up questions. First, can you define for folks that don’t know what a 1031 exchange is and why it’s beneficial for real estate investors?

Jane:
Yeah. So a 1031 exchange is basically when you sell an investment property and you have a capital gain. Instead of paying taxes on the capital gain, you would basically roll it over into a like- kind property and there’s some nuances there that you have to follow, but that allows you to defer the capital gains taxes from that first property until you kind of sell the second property. But the goal is to continue 1031ing until, I guess. Swap to and drop. Swap, swap to be dropped.

Tony:
So you guys were able to unlock some of that equity that you’ve built up through these renovations and the burrs to then go buy some other properties. And then it sounds like the other part of the reason that you guys sold was maybe more the emotional component, like you mentioned the hurricanes. Was there anything else aside from the weather that was kind of like gnawing at you from holding that portfolio? Was it really just the risk of are these properties going to stand the next hurricane?

Jane:
Yeah, I think hurricanes was probably 80, 90% of it. The other 10 or 20% was maybe the neighborhood. So I initially thought it was maybe B minus class. It was more C class. And I knew with my first tenant who stopped paying in six months and she was doing things in the house she wasn’t supposed to be doing. And I just didn’t want to deal with those tenants. There’s certain risks that come with that and I wasn’t interested in that.

Ashley:
So now you’ve pivoted to short-term rentals and you said you bought one in California. Walk us through this deal. How did you find it? How much was it?

Jane:
Yeah, so it’s interesting because if I were to buy short-term rental today, I would not follow the same process, but this was 2021 and all the podcasts I was listening to, everyone talked about STRs. I think no one even called it STRs back then. It was just Airbnbs, right? Everyone was buying an Airbnb. It was cash flowing so much. And the more podcasts I listened to about it, I realized, oh, this is like running a hotel. And no one was talking about it that way, but because I have a background in hospitality and in business, for me, I was like, oh, I’d just be a general manager of this one room hotel, even though it’s like four bedrooms or five bedrooms. I’m like, “This is my one room hotel.” And the way we decided on this market and we found this place, we’re in the Bay Area, my brother and his wife were in LA and for my kids’ spring break in April, we wanted to meet in the middle.
And it was 2021. So people are still a little bit weary of travel after COVID. And so we didn’t want to get on a plane anywhere. We wanted to drive. And so we were looking at places that’s kind of in the middle. So three and a half hour drive for both of us is Central California. It’s near Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, that area. And I was looking for Airbnbs and they were all really ugly, not just the design and the home, but the photos were really bad. It’s almost like they purposely closed the curtains before taking pictures. The listing description was bad. The price was like $200 every night, 365 days of the weekend. So just by looking at what was available, I knew most operators were not treating it like a business. Most operators were not doing this professionally. And so if I were to enter this market, I would do better than almost anybody else.
Not because I have so much experience because I had none, but I would just take it more seriously. You can tell these people were not taking it seriously. Things have changed a lot since then, but this was back in 2021. And so the next thing I did was try to understand the licensing requirements in all the cities in that county. And I picked, I think, two cities where licensing was relatively easy, easy to get or the STR permit. And I reached AirDNA, I don’t even know if it exists. Actually, I think it did exist, but I found a realtor by reaching out to other hosts on Airbnb. So I reached out to three people just to be like, “Hey, I’m interested in buying in this market.” And you guys know because you guys have Airbnbs as well. When you get this inquiry, it looks like someone’s booking your place, right?
So you get really excited, but then they’re asking a question that’s like, “Hey, I want to be your competition. Can you help me out? ” Although I asked it in a really nice way. And so of the three people I messaged, two never wrote back to me. And then the third person happened to be a realtor. And so she was like, “Hey, yeah, I’ll help you. ” And so she just told me her name. She said, “Google my name.” So I did and I got her phone number and I talked to her and within a week we were under contract.

Tony:
Wow. That’s incredibly fast. So Jane, let me ask a couple questions here because I think a lot of folks … Now granted, you already had some experience in the long-term rental space, but a lot of folks I think are hesitant to pull the trigger and get second analysis paralysis. How did you move so quickly? What allowed you within seven days to be under contract on your first short-term rental?

Jane:
So a couple things. I felt like we were not the only ones with this mindset of, “Hey, I want to see friends and family, but I don’t want to get on an airplane and I don’t want to stay in a hotel. I want to drive there.” And so where are some popular driving destinations from the Bay Area and from Southern California where people can meet? And Central California was just so easy. There’s beaches nearby, there’s so many things to do. I also know it gets super hot there and this property had a really large pool. And so even though the house itself was kind of ugly and we had to do some renovations, the pool and it also has a really big in- ground hot tub and you normally don’t see inground hot tubs, you see the aboveground hot tubs, but this in- ground hot tub can very comfortably have 12 people in there.
It’s like a mini pool. And so So those two things, if I were to put in myself would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and it was already there. And so that was the biggest thing, but this wasn’t a market where other Airbnb investors were looking because it’s a city that most people haven’t heard of. And to be honest, it didn’t look very nice. I bought it from two people who had lived there for 40 years. So it kind of looks like they had been living there for 40 years. There were three different colors of carpet. So yeah, I felt like the pool and just the demand at that time of people really wanting a drive market would make it successful.

Tony:
And what city did you say it was in, Jane?

Jane:
This is Atascadero.

Tony:
A Tascadero, but you said it’s near San Louis Obispo.

Jane:
Yeah. So it’s right in between Slow and Paso Roblos. It’s like 20 minutes from each.

Tony:
Got it. So I just looked at that city on Airbnb while you were talking here. I know St. Louis Obispo, but I’ve never heard of Atascadero. And even still to this day, a lot of the … And I’m looking for larger properties and a lot of them still kind of suck. So maybe there’s an opportunity there for a lot of people that are looking for kind of a coastal town to go buy near San Luis Obispo. So the property itself, what was the purchase price on it?

Jane:
The purchase price was 722,000.

Tony:
722. That’s a big swing for your first one. Yeah, from 50. Yeah. And what kind of debt did you use on that one? Did you use a second down or second home loan, 10% down, or what was the debt?

Jane:
Yeah, we did a 10% second home loan.

Tony:
In 2021, I mean, rates were starting to creep up, so what was your rate at that point?

Jane:
3%.

Tony:
Okay. So you got a sweetheart deal. All right, there you go. So that one worked out well. So now you’ve got this background, Jane, in hospitality. You worked for boutique hotels, some of the biggest hotel chains literally probably on the planet with Caesars. How did that shape how you approached this short-term rental versus someone who maybe didn’t have that experience?

Jane:
Yeah. So I thought of what I learned in grad school. So at Cornell, the hotel program they have, there’s a hotel there. It’s called the Statler Hotel, and it’s mostly for undergrad students to do all the grunt work. They do housekeeping, they do operations, they do everything. As a grad student, we weren’t able to do that, but I was able to talk to a lot of the undergrad students who did that and kind of pick their brains on like, “Hey, why did you sign up to do this? And what did you learn?” And things like that. And I realized you have to do all the work of a hotel to be a really good general manager. Well, you don’t have to, but that experience is super, super helpful and important in understanding what your team eventually does. And so when we bought this property, I had the mindset of, okay, I’m the general manager of this hotel and hotels have housekeeping, they have operations, revenue management, sales and marketing.
So I was thinking of all the different aspects of running a hotel and this home is three and a half hours from my house. So I couldn’t go for every check-in and neither I didn’t want to go for every check-in. But I wanted to know, when I was getting quotes from cleaners, I wanted to know why they were quoting me a certain price. It’s going to be three people and it’s going to take three to four hours to clean. I’m like, why? Why is it taking nine to 12 hours to clean a four bedroom house? That doesn’t make sense to me. But what I wasn’t incorporating was I have seven beds there and to do the laundry for seven beds and all the towels and the bath mats, and we have separate pool towels, that takes a lot of time. And oftentimes if we have a same day turnover, they need to take it offsite to do it.
And so one of the things I did early on is I did the laundry myself. So I was like, I want to know how long this really takes. And not only does it take a lot of time, it’s exhausting and I don’t do it very well. It takes so long to make the beds. I fold towels a certain way in my own house because no one cares whether or not it’s pretty. It just needs to be folded. But I was trying to figure out how do I fold these towels in my Airbnb? So I had to YouTube it and then I had to pick the type of folding that I liked best and then I had to learn how to do it and how to set it up. And I was like, okay, now I know why I pay my cleaners a premium. I understand the job of a cleaner, but I wouldn’t have understood that if I didn’t do the work myself.
And so the first property was a lot of DIY, not necessarily to save money, but just so I understood what my team was doing and to make sure that I’m also properly compensating them for their work.

Ashley:
I also did the laundry when I first started my short-term rental and it was a Airbnb arbitrage and it was in an apartment complex. So they had laundry rooms. So we would go and take over one of the laundry rooms, fill up three washers, and then we’d have to wait around to switch it over to the dryer. And yeah, it was awful. And making the beds, we had bunk beds doing the top bunk and … Oh God, yeah, it was awful. And we’d always have to make sure we had quarters too, because they were coin operated too. And you forgot your quarters, you’re back out to your car digging through the cup holder.

Tony:
I unfortunately have never done laundry to him my short-term rental. So shout out to my cleaner for holding it down that way. Jane, how fast did you get the property up and running? So I know it took you seven days to find it, another 30 days or so for closing. How long after closing did you actually get it up and running and welcome in that first guess?

Jane:
Yeah. So in hindsight, I did it pretty quickly. So we had to do a big renovation. We redid all the flooring, paint, redid the kitchen, redid some landscaping. And my contractor, he’s incredible. Not only did he finish on budget, but also on time. I think he was off by a couple days. So we closed on May 10th and the property was done by early July.

Ashley:
Let me ask you something about that real quick with the contract during the timeline and lining it up. So your contractor was able to start right when you closed. How did you get your contractor into the property to actually get you all the estimates and to understand, did you do that during your due diligence period? Did you ask to have permission for him to come through?

Jane:
Yeah. So during our one-month period where we were under contract, I think as soon as we were okay with the inspections, I asked the seller if I could just have a day at the house to interview contractors and just to figure out what I needed to do. And they were very gracious and allowed me, I don’t know, 8:00 to 5:00 or something. And my realtor had to sit with me the entire time because I couldn’t be there by myself. And we had maybe five contractors come through, gardeners come through. I interviewed pool guys. They did all that stuff in that day. And they gave me a scope of work and then I chose my guy from there. So he literally started the day after we closed.

Ashley:
Think about how efficient that is. And all you did was ask and they said yes.

Jane:
Yes, absolutely.

Tony:
How did you find the potential contractors to interview? Was it just Yelp? Were you in Facebook groups? Was it your agent? How did you get those folks to even line up to come give you the potential scopes?

Jane:
Yeah, I used Yelp and Google and I’ve learned that in some markets, more people use Yelp and in some markets, more people use Google and you don’t really know until you start searching in both, but that’s how we found every night. I did ask my agent for referrals, but those referrals ended up not panning out.

Ashley:
So now that you’ve got the renovation done, what were some of the things that you did during the setup process that maybe would stand out compared to other short-term rental hosts when setting up the property?

Jane:
Yeah. So I knew with Airbnbs, especially because now we’re in summer, right? I knew time was money and even getting it ready one day sooner would probably make me an extra 500 or $1,000. So I was in a race for time to get this property ready as soon as possible. And we were actually, now that I think about it, 4th of July weekend, we were in New York visiting family and that’s not something that we could have changed. And so I was gone for a week, which drove me crazy, but we were gone for that time. So towards the end of construction, I started having things sent to the house. The furniture we were going to do, the linens, all that stuff, I had it sent to the house because there were people there and they would just put it in the shed until I got there.
A few things that I did at … Now it’s a little more common back than not so much. I like to label everything, and I know this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but maybe a third of our five star reviews mentioned the labels. And this is also, because it’s a process that I go through after a home is ready, I close the front door from the outside and I literally walk in, I close my eyes, I open it. I’m like, okay, if I’m a guest coming in here for the first time, where do I go? What do I look at first? Where’s the light switch? And if I turn that light switch on, what does it actually turn on? And a lot of that stuff is pretty confusing. And sometimes you see a light switchboard where there’s four or five light switches together and you just kind of turn all of them on.
And so every light switch in the house is labeled. All the kitchen cabinets and drawers are labeled. And this is also because I’ve had an experience where I went to a pretty large Airbnb and I was literally looking for a cup. I just wanted a cup of water. And I think I opened 12 cabinets before I found the cup. And this is not the host’s fault at all, but after that 12th cabinet, I was a little bit annoyed. Why do I have to open 12 cabinets to find my cup? Again, nobody’s fault. And I don’t want my guest to just even feel annoyed for any reason if I can control that. So that’s something I do at all of my properties that I think stands out and it’s a little bit more guest focused. But going back to setting up this first property. So once the furniture got there, my husband and I spent various amounts of times getting it set up.
We listed it end of July. So we closed May 10th. We listed it end of July because I remember I had a full month of revenue in August and that first month we grossed $14,000. And

Ashley:
What’s your mortgage payment on this property?

Jane:
3,000. That’s P-I-T-I. It includes taxes and insurance, $3,000.

Tony:
Yeah, those 3% interest rates. If we could go back to those days. So Jane, I mean, obviously you guys crushed it with this first one, and I know you continued to kind of scale up from there. And I know that your next deal did significantly more revenue than this first one. So I want to get into that deal after QuickWord from today’s show sponsors. All right, we’re back here with Jane. So Jane, you talked about the 14K you made in your first month with that first short-term rental, but the next one, even bigger. So tell us about this deal. You bought a luxury short-term rental for, I believe it was $1.1 million, right? So even a bigger step up in purchase price. What made you decide to go so big with this one?

Jane:
So with this property, it’s located about an hour and a half east of San Francisco, maybe almost two hours, I think. And I was really looking for something that was different. So I feel like in some markets, Airbnbs are getting a little bit saturated. You can’t kind of have the same cookie cutter four bedroom home with fancy designs. There has to be something that … You have to have something that most people don’t have. And so this property had two things. One, it’s big. It’s 4,000 square feet and you can comfortably sleep 16. And not a lot of homes can … They don’t have beds for 16 people. And it had four acres and only about half of that was being used, maybe less than half of that. And so we had space to put in a pickleball court, bocce ball, fire pit, barbecue, all that stuff.
But at that time, there were not a lot of properties, if any, around the Bay Area that had a private pickleball court. And this is when pickleball was going crazy a couple years ago. So those two … So the three things. One, proximity to where a lot of people live who have the capital to spend on a nice vacation, right? So within a one or two hour drive. Two, it could comfortably sleep a large number of people. And three, there’s amenities that a lot of other Airbnbs don’t have.

Tony:
Jim, we can touch on the amenities here in a moment, but I think just from a strategic business decision perspective, once you get above a million bucks, you can also start buying smaller boutique hotels. And given the experience that you already had in your W2 life of living and being a part of those boutique hotels, what made you decide to go for luxury single family versus maybe just buying a smaller boutique hotel somewhere else?

Jane:
I think because I’m already familiar with short-term rentals, this was an easier way to try luxury Airbnb because I haven’t tried it before. I think eventually I will buy some sort of a hotel. And even though I do have a background in it and experience, as you know, Tony, underwriting is still very different, right? The process of buying a hotel is very, very different. And so I wasn’t ready for it at that moment.

Ashley:
And I think that’s what’s made you successful, is that you’re not getting shiny object syndrome because of what a lot of other investors are doing or seeing that, that you’re sticking to what you know when you’re building that solid foundation and sticking to your strategy, even though a hotel would be a shiny object and is something new to learn about and exciting is you’re sticking to what you know and building that foundation before you actually make that pivot into doing a hotel. I mean, Tony, how many short-term rentals did you do before you built that solid foundation to pivot to doing a hotel a lot, right?

Tony:
Yeah, absolutely. And I think for us, because we were at that similar point where our hotel that we bought was a million bucks. And I was personally going back and forth between, okay, do we just buy a luxury single family short-term rental or do we go with the hotel and we opted for the hotel. But I do think that there’s benefits to both. And just trying to weigh what makes the most sense, I think is what I was trying to get at from you. But going back to the amenities piece, because you touched on that, you added a lot, right? You said botchy ball, pickleball before is even cool. How did you decide which ones to add? And I think more important, how do you make sure that you don’t over amenitize? I mean, you could add everything, but at a certain point, it doesn’t necessarily add additional money to the return that you’re getting.
So how did you make that determination of how much to add and which ones to add?

Jane:
That’s a good question. And to be honest, I don’t know if I have the best answer for that. I think the thought around pickleball is because everybody was talking about it. It was almost overwhelming. Too many people were talking about pickleballs, and one day my husband and I were like, “Oh my gosh, what if an Airbnb had a pickleball?” The thought just popped up out of nowhere. And when we saw this house, there’s a perfect rectangle for the pickleball court. And so it was just a matter of ROI, right? Is this actually … And obviously there isn’t a precise way to figure out dollar for dollar. How much more am I going to make with the pickleball? All you know is that there were very close to San Francisco. There’s a lot of people with money, a lot of people play pickleball. Would they pay a slight premium for a private pickleball court?
I think everybody would have said yes. And this is a property we’re planning on holding for a very long time. And so we were confident that the ROI was there. And we’ve had people do pickleball tournaments. There’s only one court and it’s nothing fancy. It is an official size pickleball court, but it’s really nothing fancy, but people, they’re like, because there just isn’t enough space in the Bay Area to have a pickleball court where it doesn’t feel like it’s cramped in somebody’s backyard.

Ashley:
Now with this property, did you get the same 3% interest rate or was this different? And how did the numbers turn out on this? What are you cash flowing?

Jane:
Yeah. So this was not only our most expensive purchase price, but it was by far the highest interest rate we’ve ever had. So our interest rate is 7.75%. And so this is, for everyone listening, don’t be worried about the interest rate because there’s still opportunity. This property on average, we cash flow about $6,000 a month.

Ashley:
We just recorded a rookie reply where that was one of the questions, should we wait until interest rates lower? And here’s a perfect example of like, you can make a deal still work even with a high interest rate. Cash flowing $6,000 a month.

Tony:
Six grand a month, right? So we’re talking about 72 grand a year in cashflow. What did you guys actually spend to acquire the property and what do you think you invested in total to actually get it set up, design, furniture, amenities and so on?

Jane:
Yeah. So this one, because it was a jumbo loan, I think we had to do 20%. I don’t remember if it was 20 or 25% down payment. So this one we had to have a little bit more cash upfront. We did do some renovations. We added two bathrooms and did paint and just some light fixtures. The bigger renovation was adding the two bathrooms. And then we turned the garage into a game room. And so that was about $100,000, but we actually didn’t have the cash, but we knew we had to do the renovation. And so we opened a few 0% APR credit cards and we put all the renovation on the credit cards. And so two of them was 0% interest for a whole year and one of them was 0% for nine months. But in that time period, we cash flowed enough where we can pay that off.
And so essentially it wasn’t for free, but we didn’t have to have the capital upfront. We let the cash flow from the property pay for those credit cards and the renovation.

Tony:
So you guys were all in for 200K, give or take on the down payment, maybe tack on like another, I don’t know, just call it maybe 250, closing costs and whatever else maybe went into it, another 100K. So 350 all in. So we’re still looking at, even with the 7.75% interest rate, about 20% cash on cash return. That is phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal with an interest rate of almost 8%. Thank

Ashley:
You. Now, Jane, before we wrap up here, I just want to ask, how has real estate changed your life? How have you been able to be there for your daughter to make every appointment, to do everything you need to do with your family and everything and be present in your life and enjoy it, but also be able to fulfill that career almost. As you said, you had loved your job, but you did what a lot of mothers would want to do and be able to leave that job, leave their career whenever their child needed them. And you did that, but there had to be some part of you that missed that creative outlet, that missed that dream, that goal, that desire that you had all through your career to reach. So tell us how real estate was able to make that happen for you where you could still be there for your daughter and you could still live some part of the life that you wanted.

Jane:
I mean, it’s really been a dream. And I don’t just, I know a lot of people say that, but the flexibility that comes from managing short-term rentals, and I know it’s not passive income, but as you guys know, you can have systems and automations in place where you can do everything from your phone. Well, if I’m waiting for a doctor’s appointment with my daughter or I’m waiting in car line to pick up my kids or in between sports practices and I have to respond to something, I don’t need to be in front of my computer. And the cash flow is more than what we could have imagined. I initially started it kind of as like a little side hustle hobby and it’s really, it replaces most people’s full-time income and so much more, right? It’s become such a powerful cashflow tool and wealth building tool for our family.
And I think especially for moms, whether you work full-time, part-time, stay at home, and you want more time, right? Whether it’s time with your family or maybe just time for yourself, right? Time to go to the gym during the day without being interrupted, time to meet a friend for coffee. Moms always are craving more time, right? This is such a perfect way to have more time and also support your family. And with short-term rentals, there’s also co-hosting, there’s so many different things you can do within short-term rentals that are super, super powerful and also just really fit the mom’s schedule really well.

Ashley:
When my kids switched to a different school, like during COVID, they went to the school because it was still in person and we switched them to that. And I remember saying to a friend, “Ugh, but I have to drive them to school every day.” And that person said to me, “That’s awesome. You get to drive your kids to school every day.” Not everybody has that choice. Not everybody gets that time with their kids in the car. And I always think about that, how real estate has allowed me to be able to get to drive my kids to the millions of places they need to be. And that’s just something I’ve learned to appreciate over time is like, that’s an opportunity. That’s something I should be so grateful and thankful for that real estate has provided for me is the things I get to do with my kids as much as I’d rather do other things, that is time that I won’t get back.
So I think real estate really, as much as you said, everyone says it’s a dream and it doesn’t seem real, it really can do these powerful things for you with money and with time and just with your family in general too. Well, Jane, thank you so much for coming on to share your story, to tell us all about your real estate investing journey and congratulations on your success as an investor.

Jane:
Thank you so much.

Ashley:
Where can people reach out to you and find out more information about your investing journey?

Jane:
So I’m primarily on Instagram. You can find me @theinvestingmom and just send me a note. We can connect.

Ashley:
Great handle to have.

Jane:
Oh, thank you.

Ashley:
I’m Ashley. He’s Tony, and thanks so much for listening to this episode of Real Estate Rookie. If you like this episode and you like others, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel at Real EstateRookie. Thank you guys so much for listening. We’ll see you next time.

 

In This Article

Money is often the biggest barrier standing between a rookie investor and their first deal, but there’s a creative way to buy a rental property that doesn’t require draining your savings or putting much down at all. We’re talking about seller financing. In today’s market, you may have even more leverage to negotiate these kinds of deals. Tune in as we break one of them down!

Welcome to another Rookie Reply! We’re back with more questions from the BiggerPockets Forums, including one from an investor who’s struggling to find great real estate deals due to higher mortgage rates. While it’s true that today’s rates could eat away at some of your cash flow, you can still find properties that meet your long-term goals. Waiting for rates to drop could cost you!

Don’t have the cash for your next investment property? There’s a creative financing strategy that could allow you to put very little (or no) money down. We share how to negotiate and structure one of these deals so that it’s a win-win for both sides. Finally, should you move to invest in real estate? How do you pick the right market? It’s not as tricky as you probably think!

Looking to invest? Need answers? Ask your question here!

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In This Article

Fannie Mae just supersized a landlord’s potential income by expanding financing for accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

In doing so, the government-sponsored mortgage underwriter has made it easier for everyday investors to add rentable units, boost cash flow, and tap into the land around properties they already own, thereby driving appreciation.

By expanding the ways ADUs can be financed and loosening rehab lending guidelines through its HomeStyle, HomeReady, and Construction-to-Permanent renovation programs, Fannie Mae has opened the door for homeowners to become landlords and for small investors to turbo-boost revenue from their existing single-family and small multifamily buildings.

What’s Changed?

In its Selling Guide Announcement SEL-2025-10, Fannie Mae announced an expansion of ADU eligibility to increase housing supply and make it easier to update housing stock, stating the update was intended to “meet the growing demand for flexible and affordable housing solutions.”

Specifically, Fannie Mae will purchase loans for two-to-three unit homes that include an ADU. In total, each property is now allowed to contain four units, so a single-family unit can contain three additional ADUs, as long as it adheres to zoning laws.

Additionally, ADUs are permitted on single-wide manufactured homes, removing a previous restriction requiring multisection units. This addresses rural and lower-density areas where manufactured homes are more prevalent.

Possible configurations for investors looking to add ADUs to their portfolios are:

• A duplex + one ADU
• A duplex + two ADUs
• A triplex + one ADU
• A single-family + three ADUs

Energy and Resiliency Improvements Can Be Financed Too

With the rise in extreme weather-related incidents, financing energy and climate-related resiliency improvements, such as storm and fire-resistant measures, could be a big deal for investors in vulnerable states looking to safeguard their ADUs without incurring the cost of a full energy report.

When used as rentals, these improvements could be a big draw for potential guests and tenants. The addition of ARM loans means that owners can update and adapt existing homes without being saddled with pricier 30-year mortgages.

Appraisals and Income

In the near future, appraisals could present a problem, as these configurations are so new to the market that appraisers might have a tough time pulling comps to meet Fannie Mae guidelines for HELOC financing or sales.

With regard to income, a portion of ADU rent can also be used to qualify, as the rent from a small multifamily helps an owner-occupant looking to house hack qualify for a loan. With one unit as the primary residence—when purchasing or doing a cash-out refi—only one ADU’s rent can be used (even if more exist), and its revenue is capped at 30% of your total qualifying income.

So, for argument’s sake, say you were using your ADU as a short-term rental, and Leonardo DiCaprio decided to stay there, paying you $10,000 a night. 

First, great for you! Second, you couldn’t use all his rental income for your refi. However, the money it contributes to your total qualifying income could raise your purchasing power. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as it protects against over-leveraging and the temptation to inflate rental income.

Here’s an example, according to Innovative Mortgage Brokers:

• Your base qualifying income is $6,000 a month.
• Market rent for the ADU is $1,200; lenders usually count 75% ($900) for qualifying purposes.
• While $900 is 30% of $3,000, we’re adding it to $6,000. The cap says ADU income used can’t exceed 30% of your total. With $900, your total becomes $6,900, and the $900 used is within that 30% cap.

Throwing an FHA Loan Into the Mix

FHA lending guidelines are baked into the new Fannie Mae ADU rules, allowing for lower down payments and credit scores than with conventional loans. “We’re going to allow both existing rental income for ADUs and prospective rental income to be included in the underwriting process,” said Julia Gordon, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for housing and federal housing commissioner, noting that the change is designed to help borrowers finance properties with ADUs or add them during renovations, according to The Mortgage Reports.

Renovation Lending Becomes More Investor-Friendly

The ADU update includes major improvements to HomeStyle Renovation loans. Here are the main changes:

• Up to 50% of renovation costs can be disbursed at closing (no outside borrowing or leaning on a contractor to front the starting costs)
• Larger renovation budgets are allowed for manufactured housing.

Putting New ADU Lending Guidelines to Use in the Real World: An Investor Playbook

“Hidden density” is the new value-add: Look for units with convertible space. This can include:

• Oversized lots
• Alley access
• Detached garages
• Basements or underused structures
• Existing duplexes or triplexes with extra yard space

Zoning is the grim reaper: The new Fannie Mae ADU rules are good, but they’re not good enough to overcome prohibitive zoning. Before imagining your overflowing bank account, double-check that your dream property complies with applicable zoning guidelines. Confirm:

• How many ADUs are allowed?
• What are the size and height requirements?
• What are the parking requirements?
• Are detached ADUs permitted?

The latter taps into the YIMBY versus NIMBY movement, where wealthier single-family neighborhoods oppose ADUs for the same reasons they do not allow multifamily dwellings: fears of parking issues, turning communities into rental-heavy, transient areas, and lowering the quality of schools.

“If you have the 16-foot poison pill in your regs, it’s not good enough,” says Kol Peterson, a nationally recognized ADU expert and founder of AccessoryDwellings.org, in a recent podcast. “It needs to be much better … that doesn’t mean that everywhere in the country has good codes except for Portland, Seattle, and a few jurisdictions in California.”

The Cost of Building an ADU

As welcome as the new ADU-friendly guidelines from Fannie Mae are, they don’t translate to “free new rental units for everyone!” ADUs cost money. Just how much, however, varies greatly. Converting a glorified garden shed, attic, or basement is likely to cost way less than replicating an Ibiza-style lounge in your back garden.

According to home renovation site Angi, the average ADU costs $180,000, but an ADU generally costs between $60,000 to $285,000, depending on size, scope, and location. It’s possible to scrape by with a sub-$80K ADU in less-expensive markets—bearing in mind that ADU requirements mandate a kitchen, bathroom, and a separate entrance. When converting a part of your existing home, the exterior costs of weatherproofing a roof, walls, and sometimes even installing insulation can be taken out of the equation.  

Final Thoughts

Adding doors without buying new properties almost seems too good to be true for an investor, but it’s a practical way to bring in additional income for homeowners and increase an investor’s portfolio, while helping with the housing crisis. With financing on board, this could be a game changer in a high-interest rate, low-inventory environment.