Sarah Lin
Director of Buyer Relations
Works with Fix & Flip and Buy & Hold buyers on underwriting, rehab budgets, financing and buy boxes.
Editorial approach
These guides separate documented facts from assumptions. A property's condition, ownership, financing and local requirements can change the right next step. Examples illustrate a decision; they are not offers, investment advice or promises about a particular transaction.
Start with the article closest to your situation, then verify the details against current records and the people responsible for your transaction. Keep dated estimates, written terms and supporting documents together. Where a guide discusses legal or tax questions, ask a qualified professional about your circumstances before signing or transferring money.
The articles below cover this author's audience track. Compare alternatives, notice the limitations, and check whether a recommendation fits your budget, timing and property. A direct sale, an investment purchase, a disposition partnership and a marketing campaign solve different problems; none is automatically the best choice for everyone.
Articles by Sarah Lin
- Turnkey Rental Property: How to Vet a Finished Deal
Turnkey rental property explained: what you get, hidden costs and how to verify the rehab, rents and manager before you buy.
- REO Properties: How to Buy Bank-Owned Homes
REO properties explained: where bank-owned homes are listed, how offers and bank addenda work, and the condition risks to price in.
- BRRRR Method: Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat
The BRRRR method for Buy & Hold investors: buying below value, rehab budgets, refinance seasoning rules and a worked example of capital recovered.
- Rental Property Tax Deductions Landlords Should Know
Rental property tax deductions explained: expenses, depreciation, repairs vs improvements, the $2,500 safe harbor and passive loss limits per the IRS.
- How to Buy a Duplex as an Investment Property
How to buy a duplex: pick financing, verify rents and leases, inspect both units, check zoning and underwrite cash flow before you make an offer.
- Section 8 Rental Property: A Landlord's Guide
Section 8 rental property guide for landlords: how vouchers pay rent, inspections, rent limits and the HAP contract, with a worked rent example.
- How to Buy a House at Auction: Investor Steps
How to buy a house at auction as an investor: auction types, title and occupancy risks, cash rules and a max-bid formula before you raise your hand.
- House Hacking: Live in One Unit, Rent the Rest
House hacking explained: buy a 2–4 unit home, live in one unit and rent the rest. Loan options, occupancy rules and the math that decides if it works.
- Rental Property Inspection Checklist for Investors
Use this rental property inspection checklist to check safety, systems and turnover items room by room before you buy or rent out a Buy & Hold home.
- How Much Rent Can I Charge? Price a Rental Right
How much rent can I charge? Price a rental from nearby comps, HUD Fair Market Rents and Census data, then test it against vacancy and cash flow.
- Rental Property Depreciation: 27.5-Year Guide
Calculate rental property depreciation over 27.5 years, split land from building and apply the mid-month rule, with a worked duplex example.
- Property Management Fees: True Annual Cost
Compare property management fees by total annual cost per door, including leasing, renewal and repair markups, with a worked two-manager example.
- How to Calculate Cash on Cash Return: Rental Math
Learn how to calculate cash on cash return using acquisition cash, debt service and reserves, with a worked rental example and financing comparison.
- How to Calculate Cap Rate: Verify Rental NOI
Learn how to calculate cap rate from rental NOI, compare advertised yield with verified expenses, and separate financing and capital repair costs.
- 1031 Exchange Timeline: 45 and 180 Day Deadlines
1031 exchange timeline: identify replacement property within 45 days, close within 180, and build an off-market list before you sell the old one.
- How to Buy Tax Lien Properties: County Sale Steps
How to buy tax lien properties: read your county's sale rules, research each parcel, bid within budget and track redemption before any deed step.
- How to Qualify for a DSCR Loan: Ratio and Rules
How to qualify for a DSCR loan: calculate rent divided by PITIA, document rent, meet down payment and reserve rules, and fix a low ratio.
- How to Screen Tenants: A Landlord's Fair Process
How to screen tenants: written criteria, income and rental history checks, Fair Housing and FCRA rules, and a scoring sheet for buy and hold owners.
- Buy and Hold Real Estate Strategy: How It Pays
Buy and hold real estate strategy: how rentals earn, how to underwrite rent, reserves and debt, and where BRRRR fits. Worked example inside.
- How to Calculate ARV: Comps, Adjustments and MAO
How to calculate ARV: pick 3–5 recent comps, adjust price per square foot, then apply the 70% rule to set your maximum offer. Worked example inside.
- Lead Paint Disclosure for Rental Property: Checklist
Lead paint disclosure for rental property built before 1978: the six required lease elements, seller records to request and the 3-year retention rule.
- Rental Sewer Scope: Fix Incomplete Footage
Rental property sewer scope incomplete? Record the unseen segment, plan a follow-up inspection and update your budget before you close.
- Rental Home Insurance Claims History: CLUE Checks
Check home insurance claims history before buying rental property: request CLUE records, verify repairs, and resolve underwriting gaps.
- Delayed Financing for Cash Buyers: Rules and Limits
Delayed financing lets cash buyers refinance within six months. See the documented-investment cap, the paperwork and a labeled loan-size example.
- Rent-to-Value Ratio by County: 2026 Data Study
We joined HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rents with Census home values for the 100 largest counties. See the highest and lowest rent-to-value ratios.
- Builder's Risk Insurance for Fix and Flip Projects
Builders risk insurance for fix and flip projects: bind before demolition, size the limit from the rehab and check vacancy, theft and flood terms.
- Pre-1978 Flip: Lead-Safe Contractor Verification
Pre-1978 flip lead-safe contractor verification: check who performs covered work, firm credentials and the renovator before work starts.
- Vacant Property Insurance: Before-Closing Checklist
Vacant property insurance before closing: check occupancy, renovation plans, binding dates and flood coverage with an insurance professional.
- Rental Property Cash Flow Analysis, Step by Step
Cash flow is what is left after every real expense, not rent minus mortgage. Here is a line-by-line method buy-and-hold investors can use before making an offer.
- How to Estimate Rehab Costs on an Investment Property
Rehab budgets fail on hidden systems, permits and contingency, not paint. Here is a room-by-system method to estimate rehab costs before you make an offer.
- Buying Tenant-Occupied Property: Investor Checklist
A tenant in place can mean rent from day one or a long, costly problem. Here is how buy-and-hold investors verify leases, deposits and rent before closing.
- Hard Money Loans for Fix and Flip: Real Costs
Hard money closes fast, but points, draws and extension fees decide whether a flip makes money. Here is how the loans work and how to price them into an offer.
- How to Analyze Fix and Flip Deals Before You Offer
A practical underwriting walk-through for off-market fix and flip deals: verify ARV, price the rehab, count every holding cost, and set a walk-away number.
- Off-Market Properties for Sale: An Investor's Guide
Where off-market properties come from, how to evaluate them without inspection contingencies, and how to get first look at deals in your buy box.