THE DEED SHEET

THE PLAYBOOK

ARE YOU READY TO BUY YOUR FIRST RENTAL?

So you’re thinking about becoming a landlord. Congrats, you’ve officially joined the club of people who watch YouTube videos about passive income at 2 a.m. But before you start browsing Zillow like it’s Tinder, let’s talk about what ready actually looks like.

First off, money. Buying a rental is not just about scraping together a down payment. You need some cushion in the bank for when the AC dies in July (which, in Charlotte, is basically a rite of passage). If a surprise repair bill would send you into panic mode, you might want to beef up that savings account first.

Second, your debt and credit. Lenders love clean credit profiles the way Panthers fans love free Bojangles. The better your score, the better your loan terms and the more cash flow stays in your pocket instead of the bank’s.

Then comes the mental side. Being a landlord isn’t all mailbox money and sipping cocktails while your property works for you. Sometimes it’s 2 a.m. phone calls, quirky tenants, and decisions about whether you’re fixing that leaky sink yourself or paying someone else to do it. Ask yourself honestly: are you cool managing people and problems, or will this send you into meltdown mode?

Finally, local know-how. You don’t have to be a walking Charlotte zoning map, but you should know which neighborhoods are heating up and which ones are better left for maybe later. Buying blind is the quickest way to turn your passive income dream into an expensive headache.

Bottom line, if you’ve got the savings, the credit, the mindset, and a little local insight, you’re probably more ready than you think. If you’re still missing a few pieces, that’s not failure, that’s just your pre-game warmup.

MISTAKES TO AVOID

YOUR FIRST REHAB WILL HUMBLE YOU

HGTV lies. Yup, we said it. On TV, rehabs wrap up in eight weeks with a dramatic reveal, and smiling contractors who look like they moonlight as models. In real life, think eight months, a lot of dust, and at least one argument over why your contractor disappeared for two weeks waiting on parts.

The biggest mistake new investors make is assuming speed. That $30K rehab budget you penciled out balloons once you realize plumbing from the ‘60s doesn’t magically fix itself, and every “quick fix” comes with a hidden price tag.

It’s not that rehabs aren’t worth it; they can be. But the learning curve is steep, and patience is key. Expect delays, expect costs to creep, and expect to practice your deep-breathing techniques more than once.

The investors who survive their first rehab are the ones who plan for reality, not TV fantasy. Build in extra time, pad your budget, and assume something will go sideways (because it will). Do that, and instead of a humbling disaster, your first rehab becomes a very expensive classroom and a badge of honor you’ll laugh about later.

ASK THE NON-GURU

THE ROOKIE CONCERN

Question: I hear the market is hot right now. Should I wait for a crash, or is that just something people on Reddit say?

The Guru Would Say: Timing the market is essential, and our proprietary Macro-Economic Forecasting Model predicts a cyclical correction by Q3.

What We Say: You can't time the market, and waiting for a crash is a poor strategy. Your investment success is about buying the right deal, not the right month. Focus on deals that work even if values dip (deals with great cash flow), not on national headlines.

DEALS OF THE WEEK

WHAT’S CATCHING OUR EYE THIS WEEK

TRENDS TO WATCH

THE SILVER LINE SHADOW FLIP (TOD)

The Trend: The announcement and early planning of the LYNX Silver Line (which will run through portions of Uptown, Midtown, and into Matthews) has created a predictable anticipation zone for property values. Savvy investors are buying properties near the proposed station sites now, even before construction starts, to capture the biggest long-term appreciation lift.

The Investment Angle: Focus shifts from the established Blue Line to corridors like Wilkinson Blvd or areas heading toward Matthews. Look for older, small-scale commercial or industrial properties ripe for adaptive reuse or new residential multi-family development. The anti-guru advice is to buy the ugly duckling property one block off the main corridor near a proposed stop.

READ FULL REPORT HERE →

Until next week,

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