The Families Flourish Program, (FFP), includes a mobility component to move families into neighborhoods and school districts that assist in a families’ specific career and educational development. FFP needs participating landlords who accept a subsidy as a part of the full market rate rent. This enables families to advance in their careers, create stability for the family through things like increased savings for college and aid minor children with superior educational opportunities. The subsidies continue for three years.  This is a successful program in Columbus, Ohio and is being expanded into the Miami Valley Region. 

Click HERE for a PDF version of the Participating Landlord Program.

 On Facebook today, the City of Middletown announced the following update to water utility billing, illustrating the need to focus on current Ohio water utility legislation:

Important Water and Sewer Update! 📣

The City of Middletown Water and Sewer Rules and Regulations are in the process of being updated. The updated rules and regulations will go into effect April 1st, 2025. Some key changes to take note of are:

• All water accounts will remain in the property owner's name. Tenants will no longer be able to sign up for a water account. Any account that is currently in a tenant’s name will remain active until the account is closed.
• The service fee will be increasing to $50.00.
• Deposits will be increasing to $300.00.

A copy of the Water and Sewer Rules and Regulations can be found on the city website at cityofmiddletown.org/254/water-services.

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT REGARDING CTA:

March 2, 2025

The Treasury Department is announcing today that, with respect to the Corporate Transparency Act, not only will it not enforce any penalties or fines associated with the beneficial ownership information reporting rule under the existing regulatory deadlines, but it will further not enforce any penalties or fines against U.S. citizens or domestic reporting companies or their beneficial owners after the forthcoming rule changes take effect either. The Treasury Department will further be issuing a proposed rulemaking that will narrow the scope of the rule to foreign reporting companies only. Treasury takes this step in the interest of supporting hard-working American taxpayers and small businesses and ensuring that the rule is appropriately tailored to advance the public interest.

“This is a victory for common sense,” said U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.  “Today’s action is part of President Trump’s bold agenda to unleash American prosperity by reining in burdensome regulations, in particular for small businesses that are the backbone of the American economy.”

Scope of Work: The Foundation of a Successful Rehab

“The scope of work is bigger than anybody understands, If you don’t get it right, your project will go off the rails.”

A detailed, clear scope of work ensures that contractors know exactly what needs to be done and eliminates any “I thought it would look better this way” surprises. Here’s what Ray emphasizes when creating a scope of work:

✔ List Everything: Every task, material, and finish should be outlined in detail. “If you don’t specify the grout color, don’t be surprised when your contractor picks something crazy.”

✔ Time Estimates: Define how long each part of the project should take. If a job should take 45 minutes, and your contractor thinks it’s a full-day job, that’s a red flag.

✔ Material Costs: Have a rough estimate of what things should cost. This keeps contractors from overcharging or underbidding and bailing out halfway through.

“Every hour of planning saves five to ten hours of labor and cost,” Ray stresses. “Figure things out before they become problems.”

Qualifying Your Contractor: Ask the Right Questions

Not all contractors are created equal and hiring the wrong one can lead to nightmare scenarios. Ray shared his go-to questions when vetting contractors:

• How many jobs have you done? “If a guy says he’s cut down three trees in his life, he’s not yo ... Read More…

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Your credit score is a key factor that affects many aspects of your financial life, from securing a mortgage to getting favorable interest rates. Many factors can impact your score—some of which might even surprise you. Some strategies may seem counterintuitive at first, but following these steps can help improve your credit score by up to 100 points. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Keep Your Credit Card Balances Below 10% of Your Credit Limit

One of the most impactful things you can do to boost your credit score is to keep your credit card balances low. Ideally, your credit utilization ratio (the amount of credit you’re using compared to your total credit limit) should be kept below 10%. For example, if your credit limit is $1,000, aim to keep your balance under $100. When you lower your balance, you reduce your credit utilization, which can improve your credit score. Not only will paying down your balances increase your available credit, but it also signals to creditors that you manage debt responsibly.

• Do NOT Close Paid-Off Credit Card Accounts

When you pay off a credit card, you might be tempted to close the account. However, closing a credit card account—especially one that has a long history—can hurt your credit score. The reason is that your credit history length and the total amount of available credit both influence your score. By keeping the account open, you preserve the length of your credit history and avoid reducing your ... Read More…

Received this email today from an attorney friend and mentor - Lee R Phillips regarding FinCEN and BOI reporting which is back on, again, just in case you missed the latest news on this. Crazy how this keeps going back and forth

So registration is back on. Isn’t this fun! I did a YouTube on all this last week tracking what happened in January, but this new information Trumps (no pun intended) that YouTube. It’s still a good watch if you are having trouble falling asleep Check it out at https://youtu.be/oO4_2sZ0tkc

In the world of real estate investing, finding the right financing option can be the key to success. One of the most effective loan products that has gained significant attention in recent years is the Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR) loan. DSCR loans are especially popular among real estate investors due to their flexibility and streamlined approval process. These loans are tailored for investors seeking to maximize their portfolios without relying on personal income or traditional credit scores. Here’s why real estate investors should consider DSCR loans as a financing solution.

What is a DSCR Loan?

A DSCR loan is a type of financing where the lender evaluates the borrower’s ability to repay the loan based on the income generated by the property itself, rather than the borrower’s personal income or credit score. The debt service coverage ratio is a financial metric that compares the property’s net operating income (NOI) to the total debt obligations, typically the mortgage principal and interest, taxes, insurance, and any homeowner’s association fees. A DSCR ratio of 1.0 or higher indicates that the property generates enough income to cover the debt service. However, some lenders will allow a DSCR ratio as low as 0.75.

1. Easier Qualification Process

Traditional real estate loans, particularly those through conventional lenders or government-backed programs, typically require extensive documentation of the borrower’s income, ass ... Read More…

Finding the Right Real Estate Leads and Deals in Any Economy, Regardless of Interest Rates and House Prices

Real estate investing has long been one of the most reliable ways to build wealth. But with constant shifts in the economy—whether rising interest rates, fluctuating house prices, or changing market conditions—it can sometimes feel like a challenge to find the right deals. The good news is that it’s possible to succeed in any economy, and you don’t need to let interest rates or housing market trends throw you off track.

Whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience under your belt, there are proven strategies you can use to consistently find the right leads and deals. In this blog, we’ll explore how to find deals in any economy and how you can adapt your approach to continue profiting from real estate, no matter what the market throws at you.

1. Focus on the Fundamentals: Motivated Sellers Don’t Care About Interest Rates

While interest rates and house prices often make the headlines, motivated sellers are the heart of any real estate deal—and they don’t care about the current economic trends. Motivated sellers are people who need to sell their property for reasons beyond market conditions. They might be facing financial hardship, going through a divorce, relocating, or dealing with a distressed property that requires expensive repairs.

In every economy, there will always be motivated sellers&mda ... Read More…