The Rental Roof Blog

We know we need to budget for maintenance & repair costs. But do those budgets actually hold up in reality? What is the TRUE cost of maintaining rental properties? A deep dive into my portfolio’s data provides answers and insights.

A lot of factors go into the decision to buy vs. rent. But the cold, hard math of this age-old real estate question reveals a surprising truth: you'd probably be better off renting.

I focus primarily on cash flow with my properties. But appreciation in home prices is also critical to long-term wealth building with real estate. So which is more important, and which should you focus on as an investor?

The full report on my portfolio’s performance in 2023 — the good, the bad, and the ugly! Includes all the numbers and lessons learned.

The full report on my portfolio’s performance in 2022, including all the numbers and lessons learned.

High inflation and rising mortgage rates have changed the landscape for rental property investors. But you can still navigate the current climate and make money — here’s how.

Are you waiting to buy rental properties because of recent rapid increase in home prices, or higher interest rates? You shouldn’t be. In fact, you shouldn’t be thinking about market timing at all.

A look back at my portfolio in 2021, including all the numbers and lessons learned.

I took out a mortgage on Property #18 earlier this year, effectively completing my first BRRRR. Here’s how it turned out in the end, including all the numbers.

The tax code favors you in numerous ways when you own rental properties — so much so that I paid $0 in taxes on my rental income last year. Find out how I did it.

Home prices are rising, inventory is low, and many houses are receiving multiple offers above asking price within 24 hours of being listed. This must be another housing bubble, right? Not so fast.

You can learn a lot by looking back at your rental properties’ performance at the end of the year. Here’s how to do it — along with my full results from 2020.

It turns out that rental properties are the better investment in the long run — and I can prove it with numbers.

A detailed comparison of the various ways to finance your rental portfolio, and how to avoid the risks of over-leveraging.

Buying a rental property with a tenant already in place means immediate cash flow. Vacant properties give you the peace of mind of screening and placing your own tenant. There are risks to consider either way.

The FIRE movement has been getting a lot of attention lately. But one of its central tenets is misleading and due for a careful re-examination.

What expenses will your rental property incur? Will it generate cash flow? The second part of my step-by-step guide to financially evaluate any property using the RIA Rental Property Analyzer.

What will your target property rent for? Will it generate cash flow? Use this step-by-step guide to financially evaluate any property using the RIA Rental Property Analyzer.

You wouldn’t think it, but leveraging mortgage debt can actually INCREASE your cash returns. And that’s not all…

A deep dive into the projected and actual performance of my first remote rental property.

The three reasons rental properties are the best passive investment vehicle on the planet.

A new crop of online gurus are touting Section 8 as the best strategy for rental property investors. A close look at the promises they’re making raises lots of red flags.

The number of homes being built expressly for the purpose of renting, also known as Build-to-Rent or BTR, has grown dramatically in recent years. In this article, learn about BTR, and decide if it makes sense for your investing.

The home insurance market has been thrown into chaos in the last few years. Here's what you need to know as a rental property investor, and what it may mean for your insurance strategy.

If you’re perplexed by all the plexes (duplex, triplex, quadplex), worry not! Learn about all the pros and cons of single family vs multi family, so you can decide which strategy works best for you.

I took out a mortgage on Property #18 earlier this year, effectively completing my first BRRRR. Here’s how it turned out in the end, including all the numbers.

A complete guide to Section 8 for landlords, covering all the risks & rewards.

Looking to buy rental properties? Here’s a look at 12 markets that offer the best opportunities for cash flow investors. Updated for 2024!

All the pros and cons of investing in condos as rental properties – and why I’m selling my condos now.

Many aspiring investors think that out of state rental properties won’t work. But their fears don’t match the reality — and limiting yourself to your local market can come at a high cost.

Buying a rental property with a tenant already in place means immediate cash flow. Vacant properties give you the peace of mind of screening and placing your own tenant. There are risks to consider either way.

Turnkey rental properties promise to take the uncertainty and hassle out of real estate investing. Do they live up to the hype?

What expenses will your rental property incur? Will it generate cash flow? The second part of my step-by-step guide to financially evaluate any property using the RIA Rental Property Analyzer.

What will your target property rent for? Will it generate cash flow? Use this step-by-step guide to financially evaluate any property using the RIA Rental Property Analyzer.

Confused about which markets are best for rental properties? You’re not alone. Here’s what truly matters in selecting a market, and how to choose one that works for you.

Understanding A, B, C, and D neighborhood designations, and finding your sweet spot as an investor.

A deep dive into the projected and actual performance of my first remote rental property.

Rental investors understand the power of cash flow. But to make that income stream truly PASSIVE, you must hire a professional property manager.

A lot of factors go into the decision to buy vs. rent. But the cold, hard math of this age-old real estate question reveals a surprising truth: you'd probably be better off renting.

A new crop of online gurus are touting Section 8 as the best strategy for rental property investors. A close look at the promises they’re making raises lots of red flags.

I focus primarily on cash flow with my properties. But appreciation in home prices is also critical to long-term wealth building with real estate. So which is more important, and which should you focus on as an investor?

The number of homes being built expressly for the purpose of renting, also known as Build-to-Rent or BTR, has grown dramatically in recent years. In this article, learn about BTR, and decide if it makes sense for your investing.

The home insurance market has been thrown into chaos in the last few years. Here's what you need to know as a rental property investor, and what it may mean for your insurance strategy.

You’ve probably heard that hedge funds are gobbling up houses all over the country, raising rents on tenants and driving home prices higher. Here’s the thing: it’s just not true.

Investor and author Alan Corey visits the blog to give his thoughts on a question I get all the time from clients: should I get a real estate license?

A guest post examines early retirement five years in, and the various ways it has turned out differently than I thought.

Are you waiting to buy rental properties because of recent rapid increase in home prices, or higher interest rates? You shouldn’t be. In fact, you shouldn’t be thinking about market timing at all.

The tax code favors you in numerous ways when you own rental properties — so much so that I paid $0 in taxes on my rental income last year. Find out how I did it.

Home prices are rising, inventory is low, and many houses are receiving multiple offers above asking price within 24 hours of being listed. This must be another housing bubble, right? Not so fast.

A complete guide to Section 8 for landlords, covering all the risks & rewards.

You can learn a lot by looking back at your rental properties’ performance at the end of the year. Here’s how to do it — along with my full results from 2020.

My first guest post traces my escape from the office grind using out-of-state rental properties.

It turns out that rental properties are the better investment in the long run — and I can prove it with numbers.

All the pros and cons of investing in condos as rental properties – and why I’m selling my condos now.

A detailed comparison of the various ways to finance your rental portfolio, and how to avoid the risks of over-leveraging.

Many aspiring investors think that out of state rental properties won’t work. But their fears don’t match the reality — and limiting yourself to your local market can come at a high cost.

Many investors are convinced they need to hold their rental properties in LLCs. But their arguments don’t hold up to scrutiny, and the downsides are significant.

The FIRE movement has been getting a lot of attention lately. But one of its central tenets is misleading and due for a careful re-examination.

Turnkey rental properties promise to take the uncertainty and hassle out of real estate investing. Do they live up to the hype?

A detailed guide for new investors covering everything a Property Manager manages – and why you need one.

The three reasons rental properties are the best passive investment vehicle on the planet.

How mid-career burnout as a retail executive forced me to seek a very different path.

Rental investors understand the power of cash flow. But to make that income stream truly PASSIVE, you must hire a professional property manager.

Many aspiring investors think that out of state rental properties won’t work. But their fears don’t match the reality — and limiting yourself to your local market can come at a high cost.

Selecting a property manager is one of the most consequential decisions a rental property investor makes. Here’s how to get it right using the RIA PM Vetting Checklist.

Turnkey rental properties promise to take the uncertainty and hassle out of real estate investing. Do they live up to the hype?

A detailed guide for new investors covering everything a Property Manager manages – and why you need one.

What is the TRUE cost of maintaining rental properties? Plus the latest REI news & insights, and an essay about health “care”.

How passive are rental properties, really? Plus the latest REI news & insights, and an essay about the voting process.

Is buying or renting your primary residence the better financial choice? Plus the latest REI news & insights, and an essay about how business and government both have a role in promoting the common good.

Cash Flow vs Appreciation is one of the oldest debates in real estate. But which will actually make you more money? Plus the latest REI news & insights, and an essay about playing the long game, in investing and in life.

Build-to-Rent is growing fast. Should you be adding build-to-rent properties to your rental portfolio? Plus a latest REI news & insights, and an essay about why I love the Olympics.

The home insurance industry is facing a reckoning. What will it mean for rental property investors? Plus a latest REI news & insights, and an essay about moving -- to a new city, and into a new stage of life.

Are hedge funds buying up all the houses and driving up home prices? Plus the latest REI news & insights, and why Americans have their economic facts all wrong.

A close look at Section 8, and the coming changes to realtor fees. Plus the latest REI news & insights, and an essay about how Jon Stewart got the risks of AI all wrong.

How did the pandemic impact home prices and rental rates in popular rental markets? Plus a latest REI news & insights, and an essay about cooperation -- in real estate, and in global affairs.

A review of the seven key themes that drove the biggest news in 2023. Plus a latest REI news & insights, and an essay about the artifice of online gurus.

After a relentless climb, mortgage rates have recently been falling rapidly. Will mortgage rates keep falling? Plus the latest REI news & insights, and a reflection the deep value of relationships.

A discussion of the successful lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors and other brokerages that could change how real estate is bought and sold. Plus a latest REI news & insights, and an essay about the ethics of rental properties.

A look at the age-old question: is it better to buy or rent? Plus the latest REI news and insights, and an essay about the power of habits.

Homes have been growing in size for decades -- but is that trend reversing? Plus the latest REI news and insights, and an essay about our obsession with staying busy.

How higher mortgage rates are locking sellers in place, which is supporting home prices despite falling demand. Plus the latest REI news and insights, and an essay about work vs. life.

Lead Story: The Commercial Crash

Portfolio Updates

In Other News…

Final Thoughts: Luck

Lead Story: The Recession That Never Comes

Portfolio Updates

In Other News…

Final Thoughts: Epidemic

Lead Story: Are Home Prices Headed Up Again?

Portfolio Updates

In Other News…

Final Thoughts: Consequences

Lead Story: The Housing Shortage

Portfolio Updates

In Other News…

Final Thoughts: War

Lead Story: 2022 Year in Review

Portfolio Updates

In Other News…

Final Thoughts: Debt

Lead Story: An Awful Year for Stocks

Portfolio Updates

In Other News…

Final Thoughts: Respite

Lead Story: The Great Rent Run-Up

Portfolio Updates

In Other News…

Final Thoughts: The Next Big Thing! (!!!)

Lead Story: Is Inflation Peaking?

Portfolio Updates

In Other News…

Final Thoughts: Is Nothing Sacred?

Lead Story: A Shift in the Market

Portfolio Updates

In Other News…

Final Thoughts: How Much Is “Enough”?

Property #7 is one of the oldest homes in my portfolio, and also holds the distinction of being the cheapest home I’ve ever bought at just $45K. But other costs came later.

Property #6 is a very large 4-bed, 2.5-bath home in the 38116 zip code that I purchased with a tenant in place.

Property #5 is a semi-attached townhome with 3 beds and 2 full baths, purchased after a turnkey rehab.

Property #4 is a few blocks from Property #3, and was bought on the same day from the same seller.

Property #3 is my first house in the Parkway Village neighborhood, and it marks the first time I used a mortgage to buy a property.

My second rental property in Memphis is a 1950’s-era 3/1 in the Frayser neighborhood.

Here is my 25th property in Memphis! It’s pretty much a carbon copy of Property #24, but we’ll give it a separate blog post anyway.

Check out my 24th property in Memphis! It’s completely unlike anything I’ve purchased before.

Here is my 23rd property in Memphis! Check out all the details and financials for this 3 bed, 1 bath turnkey house in one of my favorite rental neighborhoods in Memphis.

Check out my 22nd property in Memphis! The numbers for this one aren’t great, so why did I buy it? Find out…

Here is my 21st property in Memphis! Check out all the details and financials for this 3 bed, 1.5 bath house I bought from a turnkey provider.

I recently closed on my 20th property in Memphis! Check out all the details and financials for this 3 bed, 1 bath home.

I recently closed on Memphis Rental Property #19! Here’s a close look at my newest house, which has a lot in common with #17.

A few months ago, I closed on Memphis Rental Property #18! Here’s a look at my new property, which is my first duplex and my first foray into rehabbing.

It’s been a year since my last acquisition, but I just closed on Memphis Rental Property #17! Here’s a look at my new house, and why I’m still investing in rental properties in the middle of a pandemic.

A deep dive into the projected and actual performance of my first remote rental property.

The full report on my portfolio’s performance in 2023 — the good, the bad, and the ugly! Includes all the numbers and lessons learned.

The full report on my portfolio’s performance in 2022, including all the numbers and lessons learned.

A look back at my portfolio in 2021, including all the numbers and lessons learned.

You can learn a lot by looking back at your rental properties’ performance at the end of the year. Here’s how to do it — along with my full results from 2020.