There's nothing scarier than opening your property statement and discovering your investment is hemorrhaging money. Well, maybe there is—realizing it's been happening for months and you had no idea.

Bad property management is the silent killer of real estate returns. Unlike a horror movie where you see the bad guy coming, poor management operates in the shadows. By the time you notice declining cash flow, resident complaints, or deferred maintenance, significant damage is already done.

You've lost time, money, and potentially great residents who could have stayed for years.

You've bought your first turnkey property. The residents are in place, cash flow is hitting your account monthly, and you're thinking about what comes next. How long does it really take to build a substantial real estate portfolio? More importantly, what does "substantial" even mean for your specific goals?

The answer depends on several factors working together: your available capital, financing capacity, risk tolerance, and strategic approach.

Understanding realistic timelines helps you set achievable milestones while avoiding the rush to scale before you're ready. So…what can you really expect to happen when you invest in turnkey real estate?

Rising property prices, elevated interest rates, and economic uncertainty have made traditional buy-and-hold investing feel more complicated than ever. At the same time, rental demand continues climbing as homeownership becomes increasingly out of reach for many Americans.

Enter build-to-rent (BTR) communities—purpose-built single-family rental properties designed from the ground up with investors and long-term residents in mind. Both traditional turnkey properties and BTR communities have their place in a well-rounded portfolio. The question isn't which is better, it's which fits your specific needs and investment goals right now.

Congratulations!

You've taken the leap into turnkey real estate investing. Whether you've just closed on your first property or are about to sign that contract, those initial three months set the foundation for your entire investment experience. And even if you think you know what to expect intellectually, the reality might look different from what you anticipated.

At REI Nation, we've guided thousands of investors through this crucial period over our 20+ years in business. Here's exactly what to expect—and what you should focus on—during your first 90 days as a turnkey investor.

If you're considering using retirement funds to invest in turnkey real estate, a self-directed IRA (SDIRA) might be your golden ticket. But here's the million-dollar question: should you go traditional or Roth? Both offer unique advantages for passive real estate investors, making it a tough choice! 

Choosing the right one could make a massive impact on your long-term wealth-building strategy, though. So, make your choice wisely!

The American housing market just reached a staggering milestone: a total value of $55.1 trillion, representing a $20 trillion surge since early 2020. For context, that's more than the entire GDP of the United States. 

But before you pop the champagne or panic about market bubbles, let's talk about what this means for single-family rental investors — and why the shifting geography of housing wealth might present your best opportunity yet.

Before embarking on a new and potentially risky venture, you must be adequately prepared. You wouldn’t go on a long trip without packing a suitcase! And the most experienced travelers know that a checklist ensures all the essentials get packed.

In the same way, real estate investors must prepare before they start their investment journey. It’s all too easy for inexperienced investors to get in over their heads. It takes solid preparation to set the stage for success – do you know what you need to do?

Never fear – we’re here to give you the definitive checklist for preparing for your first real estate investment.

We’ve all heard, “Cash is king.” The phrase was coined in 1980 by author George N. McLean as a business maxim: “Avoid credit, remembering that cash is king, credit is a slave.” The phrase reemerged and grew in popularity with the 1987 stock market crash. We’ve seen plenty of professionals and investors hold to this philosophy since.

New construction is divisive in the world of real estate, whether you’re an investor or a traditional homebuyer. Some are attracted to the totally turnkey nature of new builds. Others are skeptical of the quality of modern construction and developing markets.

Resident retention is the investor’s best avenue to reliable cash flow. Vacancies cost money – costs for lost rental income, preparing for the next resident, and marketing the property, to name a few! As a real estate investor, one of your top priorities – regardless of your strategy – is to keep good residents for the long haul.

But how do we do that? What do retention rates mean? How are they calculated? Keep reading to find out more!

How Retention Rates Work

We can talk about metrics all day, but they’re useless if we don’t understand how to calculate and interpret the data! Generally speaking, your rental property retention rate is calculated by dividing the number of residents (or renter households) that moved out during a twelve-month period by the total number of residents/households you had over that same period. Then, multiply that result by 100.