HOW IT WORKS
How it works, what it costs, and how the decisions stay yours.
ONE FLAT FEE · PAID ONLY BY YOU · EVERY DECISION IS YOURS
Think of me less as a service provider and more as an experienced friend who's been owning rental homes as well. When you ask me what to do, I'll tell you honestly what I'd do if it were my own property, but the decision is always yours.
WHO I WORK WITH
You've already done the hard part. You've saved up, you have a full-time job, maybe a growing family, and now you're ready to own your first rental home. You don't have time to become a full-time landlord or a market expert. You want someone who's already done this to walk beside you while you learn.
This works well if:
You typically have $60K–$200K to put toward your first rental home, on top of a healthy emergency fund. (I will never suggest putting your last dollar of savings into a property.)
You don't need to live where you're buying. This service is designed for owning from a distance.
You want to learn this, not just outsource it blindly. I'll show you my full thinking, not just my conclusions.
You're US-based. I also work with non-US clients on a case-by-case basis (more on that below).
WHAT WORKING TOGETHER LOOKS LIKE
1. Free intro call(s)
We talk, more than once if needed. I learn about your situation, your priorities, and how much risk you're comfortable with. You learn how I think. No pressure, no fee, and nothing signed.
2. Choosing your area and learning the numbers
I walk you through the areas I work in: why I chose them, what owning there looks like, and how they differ. You decide whether one of them fits what you're looking for. If none does, we stop here, with no fee. If one does, I walk you through how I model my own homes, with every input and assumption visible, and help you build a model for yours in that area. You're free to challenge any of it. We'll look at multiple scenarios, including what it looks like if you work with me for 20 years, or go solo after 3. You sign only once you've chosen your area and you're genuinely convinced.
Installment 1 of 3 · due at signing
3. Choosing and buying your home
I introduce you to agents, lenders, inspectors and insurance agents I've worked with. You choose who to work with, and every contract is directly between you and them. You choose the home. I share how I'd evaluate each option for myself and help you prepare for every decision from offer to close, so you're never flying blind.
The goal isn't to buy a property at all costs. If the market or the moment truly isn't right for you, you only ever pay the first installment.
Installment 2 of 3 · due at purchase close
4. Getting ready for your first tenant
I'll help you choose a property manager. You sign with them directly. If the home needs work before it's ready to rent, I'll introduce you to contractors I've worked with, help you compare quotes, and help you plan the work so it's done efficiently. You choose who does the work, and you contract with them directly. Your property manager typically coordinates the work on site, and I'll help you keep an eye on progress so you're not managing it from a distance alone. Once the home is ready, your property manager screens applicants. You, as the owner, choose your tenant and sign the lease, and I'll share how I'd think about each applicant.
Installment 3 of 3 · due at lease signing
5. Your first year as an owner, supported
For the first 12 months of the lease, I'm with you for the decisions, and we track your income and expenses against your model. If you'd like, I can also take some day-to-day work off your plate:
Your property manager's first point of contact. With your written authorization, your property manager comes to me first with routine questions. They remain responsible for managing the property, and you remain the owner who makes the decisions.
Help with bills. Your property's bank account is in your name, and you can give me access to help pay its bills. Your account, your money, your P&L. I just help you save time.
I'm there for whatever comes up, except tax prep.
6. Year two and beyond: your call
After the first year, you decide: continue with a light annual arrangement, or take what you've learned and fly solo. Since every relationship is already yours, the handoff is clean. There's no pressure to stay. I'd genuinely rather you feel capable of doing this yourself. Some clients stay with me for years; others graduate after one. Both are a win in my book.
WHAT IT COSTS
One flat fee, paid only by you. No percentages, no surprises. And you pay as we make progress: when you sign, when you close, and when your first lease starts.
What the setup fee covers. Everything in steps 2–5 above: choosing your area and learning the numbers, choosing and buying your home, getting it ready for your first tenant, and the first 12 months of your lease. For example, if you sign in March, close in April, and your lease starts June 1, the setup fee covers you through May 31 of the following year. The optional annual fee would then renew each June 1.
What it doesn't replace. Your realtor, lender, property manager, and insurance agent. I introduce you to people I trust for each and help you prepare for every conversation, but those relationships and contracts are always between you and them directly.
Realtors, lenders, and property managers don't pay me anything. I don't keep referral fees. Where permitted, if a realtor offers one, I ask them to pass the benefit on to you, for example through a lower commission.
See how that works, and what the savings can add up to →
* Annual fees, including early-client rates, may be adjusted once a year with 90 days' notice, for example to keep pace with inflation.
WHY I ONLY WORK IN A FEW AREAS
I don't work everywhere. I work in a small number of areas I've researched deeply and own in myself, currently two, growing slowly and deliberately. Before we sign, you'll learn about each one and choose the area that fits you, and our agreement names the area we'll work in.
Here's why that matters for you. When you own a single rental home in another state, you're one small account to your property manager, maybe one of dozens or hundreds they serve. That leaves you little leverage when something isn't working.
Because several of my clients own in the same areas:
The property manager I'd choose for my own homes has agreed to terms that are available to every client of mine, and knows they're accountable to all of us, not just to you.
You can benefit from pricing, access, and accountability that are harder for an individual first-time owner to get alone.
You're always free to choose a different property manager, or any other provider. It's your call, never mine, and I'll help you compare.
This is the trade-off: I can't help you buy anywhere. I can only help you buy well, in places I know deeply.
QUESTIONS PEOPLE USUALLY HAVE
How hands-off is this, really, once I have a tenant in place? As much or as little as you want. At minimum, you'll get the loan in your name, open your property's bank account, and file your annual tax return, and I'll make all of that as easy as possible. Beyond that, I can be your property manager's first contact and help with bills, so your role is mostly decisions, not chores. I intentionally take on only 1–2 new clients at a time so I can actually be there when you need me.
What if I sign up and can't find a property I'm happy with? This hasn't happened yet. By the time we sign, we've already had real conversations to make sure both you and the area are ready. But if it did happen, you'd only ever be out the first installment of the setup fee.
I'm not based in the US. Can I still do this? Potentially, on a case-by-case basis. Financing, banking, entity structure, and taxes can work differently for non-US owners, so I'll introduce you to the right lender, CPA, or attorney where needed. I haven't taken a non-US client through the full process yet, and I'll always be transparent about where my experience ends and a specialist's should begin.
Do you replace my realtor, lender, or property manager? No. I introduce you to people I trust and help you prepare, but every relationship and contract is between you and them. They don't pay me anything. I don't keep referral fees; where permitted, I ask the realtor to structure the benefit so it stays with you.
Which areas do you work in? A small number I've personally researched, own in myself, and believe in. I add new ones deliberately and slowly, because the same economy of scale that benefits my current clients depends on not spreading too thin.
WHY I’M DOING THIS
I spent 20+ years in tech. I make less running myLongTerm than I did before, and that's okay. I built this because it's the service I wish I'd had when I bought my first rental home. Read my story →
The intro call is free, relaxed, and takes about 20 minutes. If it's not the right fit, I'll tell you - and point you somewhere better.