In this episode of The Landlord Diaries, we sit down with Amanda Han, Managing Director of Keystone CPA and one of the nation's top real estate tax strategists. Amanda, a third-generation real estate investor, has helped countless investors maximize wealth through powerful, proactive tax strategies. With best-selling books on Amazon and features in Money Magazine, Google Talks, and CNBC, Amanda brings her unparalleled expertise to the show. Whether you're new to real estate investing or a seasoned pro, this episode will provide valuable insights into building a tax-efficient portfolio. Amanda has 46k subscribers on Instagram & frequently appears as a speaker or author on the Bigger Pockets network.

🔑 Episode Highlights:

• How tax savings make real estate a powerful wealth-building tool
• When and why you should move your rental property into an LLC
• Deep dive into cost segregation and how it can supercharge your tax savings
• Understanding the $25,000 tax allowance for real estate investors with W-2 income
• How to achieve Real Estate Professional Status and unlock massive tax benefits
• Top tax tips for MTR hosts and how to find the right CPA for your real estate journey

📊 Tax Q&A for Furnished Finder Hosts: This episode covers frequently asked tax questions from real estate investors managing midterm rentals, including the pros and cons of LLCs, cost segregation strategies, and tips for reducing your tax burden.

In this episode we cover:

0:00 The Landlord Diaries Intro

2:40 How Amanda became one of the leading real estate tax strategists

3:50 Amanda grew up NEVER wanting to invest in real estate

4:35 Robert Kiyosaki’s book “Rich Dad Poor Dad” changed Amanda’s mindset

5:35 Build a real estate portfolio that’s designed to fit your lifestyle

7:50 Keystone has many client’s in the MTR space

8:40 Why real estate is a preferred asset class

10:00 Tax savings can become a wealth building addiction

12:55 Don’t be scared to ask your tax advisor questions

14:45 When to talk with your tax advisor

15:25 Tax Q&A: Furnished Finder host questions answered

16:20 At what point should you put your rental under an LLC?

20:25 Should you set up an LLC on your own or with a professional?

22:50 Cost segregation strategies & depreciation tips

24:40 Around 40% of tax returns are not optimized

26:55 Pros & cons of cost segregation

31:55 The midterm rental tax loop hole

33:15 The $25,000 tax allowance against w2 income

34:40 What are the qualifications to become a real estate professional

38:30 How to find the right CPA

49:45 Can you have a different CPA & tax strategist?

40:55 A mistake to avoid & the right questions to ask a CPA

43:55 Overcoming the challenges of bookkeeping

50:45 Tips for arguing property taxes

52:40 Top 3 tax tips for mom & pop MTR real estate investors

56:10 Connect with Amanda Han through KeyStone CPA & access her amazing resources!

Website Links:

https://www.furnishedfinder.com/

Text the hosts with questions or comments.

The Landlord Diaries is brought to you by Furnished Finder, where you can list your property for one low price and pay zero booking fees.

Welcome to The Landlord Diaries! In this episode, we dive deep into the profitable niche of mid-term rental insurance with real estate expert Ruben Kanya. With over a decade of experience and a portfolio controlling over 30 homes, Ruben reveals how he rents homes to families displaced by disasters at 4x the long-term market rate. From building a real estate portfolio to navigating insurance housing, Ruben shares game-changing strategies to optimize for mid-term rentals in today’s tight housing market.

Learn how Ruben’s buy box strategy helps him secure 4-5 bedroom homes, perfect for displaced families, and how data-driven decisions in mid-term rentals can significantly boost your ROI. Ruben’s “napkin math” example shows a displaced family in his area of Atlanta, GA, would likely have $86,000 available for housing which breaks down to $7,166/month for 12 months. (Catch this part of the conversation at 45 minutes.)

If you’re a real estate investor looking to maximize your rental income & leverage insurance contracts, tune in now!

In this episode we cover:

0:00 Intro- Welcome to The Landlord Diaries

3:50 The exciting mid-term rental insurance space

7:45 Hosting someone through disaster

9:10 Ruben’s real estate buy box or deal criteria

10:50 Don’t be a penny wise & a dollar foolish with tenant requests

11:55 There are SO MANY ways you can take an MTR

13:30 Insurance housing is more prevalent than you might think

15:45 The Invested Escapes Portfolio & Mastermind Training Program

17:30 Embracing market shortages with 4-5 bedroom homes

18:15 Imagine hotel life for a family of 5 with 2 dogs…

19:45 Half of the Furnished Finder supply is studios or 1 bedrooms

20:30 Data is all relative, do the math & see the value of MTR

22:35 Katie’s jump from 10-14 properties in months

24:25 Ruben's insurance corporate housing blueprint

29:05 Relocation specialists swipe quickly through Furnished Finder

30:35 STR/Airbnb hosts optimize for experience, MTR hosts optimize for functionality

32:25 MTR is an art, not a science. Brag about your functional amenities.

33:45 Optimize for MTR: 30 day notice to vacate & fill gaps w/ STR

37:25 When the STR/MTR hybrid strategy fails

38:35 National Gross Housing Margin: The calculated formula insurance companies use

39:45 Know Insurance Terms For Gross Profit Calculation: Coverage A & Coverage D

42:20 How to research 4-5 bedroom supply in your market

45:15 Ruben’s Insurance Napkin Math Example

• Purchase Price: $480k
• Atlanta Land Value- 10% on average
• Dwelling Value- $432k
• Loss of Use Value- $86k

51:05 B2B Contract Advice w/ relocation companies & arbitrage/partnership opportunites

55:00 Connect directly on Furnished Finder w/ no booking fees, no commissions, save thousands

Website Links:

https://www.furnishedfinder.com/

https://www.furnishedfinder.com/members/profile?u=Ruben.Kanya

Social: Ruben Kanya @therealestateexperiment

Text the hosts with questions or comments.

The Landlord Diaries is brought to you by Furnished Finder, where you can list your property for one low price and pay zero booking fees.

Are you ready to level up your real estate game? In this episode of The Landlord Diaries, we sit down with Nicole Bansal, a San Diego-based investor who went from accidental landlord to a seasoned real estate strategist. Nicole shares her 3-step process for defining your buy box (buying strategy) and identifying investment properties that both appreciate in value and generate cash flow.

Nicole’s strategy led her to invest in a 4-bedroom, 2-bath hybrid property in Savannah, GA, which perfectly fits her buy box criteria—properties under $500K, in growing communities, and with strong equity potential. Tune in to learn about how Nicole is making $7,000 per month in revenue on one property, the power of mid-term and short-term rentals (MTR/STR), using AI tools like ChatGPT for city research, and how data-driven platforms like AirDNA and Furnished Finder can help pinpoint profitable neighborhoods.

0:00 Intro- Welcome to The Landlord Diaries

2:20 How do you become an accidental landlord?

3:40 Real estate mistakes lead to a clear buy box

6:50 What is a real estate buy box?

7:20 Strategic decisions when considering your buy box

9:30 3 ways Nicole breaks down her buy box

• Personal Goals
• News Updates
• 3 main tools including Furnished Finder data

9:55 Nicole’s personal deal criteria

• Increase in equity/appreciation
• Real estate wealth over monthly income need
• Growing communities
• Less than $500k purchase price

11:55 Use AI tools like ChatGPT to research cities that fit your strategy

• Population growth
• Landlord friendly laws
• Large tourism industry

12:45 Why STR/MTR hybrid properties were part of Nicole’s portfolio strategy

15:55 It’s really hard to cash flow with long term rentals, shift to mid term now

17:50 Why are you waiting to enter the market?

18:45 Deep dive on the data side: Finding the right STR/MTR property

• Furnished Finder map
• AirDNA
• Rabbu (completely free to use)
• Chat with Furnished Finder landlords

23:15 How Nicole finds neighborhoods w/ the highest rents on Furnished Finder

27:00 Amenities can be really important so don’t skip that part of your research

28:30 When purchasing an investment property, a spreadsheet is a must

29:55 Real estate partnerships can keep you on the right track

29:50 Host Katie & Kelly share their buy box strategies

32:45 You don’t always have to do a bunch of research to get started

34:30 Nicole’s epic midterm purchase in Savannah, GA

37:00 Nicole hit the 1% rule with MTR: $7,000 in monthly revenue on one property

43:05 Katie’s most interesting tenant type yet

44:00 Nicole & Katie share a love for all things marketing

45:35 Canva’s AI tool can transform your property photos

46:30 AI prompts for your property descriptions

Website Links:

https://www.furnishedfinder.com/

https://www.furnishedfinder.com/stats

https://www.f

Text the hosts with questions or comments.

The Landlord Diaries is brought to you by Furnished Finder, where you can list your property for one low price and pay zero booking fees.