You've built a portfolio. Nobody's shown you the tools that make it compound faster.
Cost segregation, 1031 exchanges, QOZs, DSTs — the IRS publishes the rules. Most real estate investors either don't know these strategies exist or have advisors who don't coordinate them. The difference is six figures a year.
Based on typical client scenarios. Individual results vary depending on your specific situation.
The problems hiding in plain sight.
These are the issues we see most often with real estate businesses. Most owners don't know they have them.
You're Depreciating Everything Over 27.5 or 39 Years
A cost segregation study reclassifies building components (HVAC, electrical, fixtures, paving) into shorter depreciation schedules — 5, 7, or 15 years instead of 27.5 or 39. The IRS has approved this methodology since the 1990s. Published case studies from the ASCSP show that cost segregation typically accelerates 20-40% of a property's value into the first few years. For a $2M property, that can mean $150K+ in additional first-year deductions.
Your 1031 Exchange Strategy Isn't Connected to Your Investment Strategy
A 1031 exchange defers capital gains tax — but only if the replacement property fits your overall wealth plan. Too often, investors rush into a replacement property to meet the 45-day identification deadline without considering whether the new asset fits their long-term portfolio. Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs) are one IRS-approved option for investors who want 1031 deferral without taking on another active property.
You Have Either Too Many LLCs or Too Few
Asset protection in real estate isn't about the number of LLCs — it's about the structure. Legal and tax professionals widely recommend series LLCs, holding company structures, and property-specific entities based on risk profile. Many investors either have every property in one LLC (maximum liability exposure) or a separate LLC for each (unnecessary complexity and cost).
Nobody Is Looking at How Your Properties Interact
Most real estate investors have a CPA for taxes, a property manager for operations, and maybe a wealth advisor for other investments. Nobody looks at how the whole portfolio interacts — how refinancing one property affects your tax position on another, how a 1031 timeline connects to your estate plan, or how cost segregation on one property creates passive losses that offset income from others. This is the Coordination Tax.
Want to see what you're leaving on the table? A 30-minute Foundation Review built specifically for real estate.
Book Your Real Estate Review →What real estate owners get wrong.
And what to do instead.
Not doing a cost segregation study on commercial or residential rental properties +
Rushing a 1031 exchange without a long-term portfolio strategy +
Using one LLC for all rental properties +
Not coordinating passive losses across properties +
Where the money actually is.
Opportunities we typically identify for real estate businesses — and coordinate with your tax and legal professionals to capture.
What a Foundation Review actually looks like.
An anonymized engagement from our work with real estate businesses.
Real Estate Investment Firm
$4.8M portfolio incomeA 12-property portfolio owner was approaching a major liquidity event — selling two properties with significant embedded gains. The focus was on the transaction, but there was no estate plan, no life insurance to cover estate tax exposure, and the owner's retirement savings were minimal relative to net worth because everything was tied up in real estate.
- No life insurance despite a growing estate — projected estate tax liability of $1.2M+ with no liquidity to pay it, meaning heirs would be forced to sell properties at potentially distressed prices
- Zero retirement savings outside of real estate equity — an annuity or retirement plan could provide diversification and guaranteed income that doesn't depend on property values or occupancy rates
- The upcoming sale was eligible for a 1031 exchange into DSTs, but more importantly the deferred gains created a future estate tax problem that needed life insurance to solve
- Also identified: entity structure exposed all 12 properties to cross-liability — referred to their attorney for restructuring
The Foundation Review placed an ILIT-owned life insurance policy to cover projected estate tax liability (through Ash Brokerage), established a retirement plan to begin building non-real-estate savings, and coordinated with their CPA on the 1031 exchange strategy. The life insurance solved the liquidity problem that would have forced the family to liquidate properties to pay estate taxes.
Details anonymized and modified. Individual results vary — your Foundation Review will be specific to your situation.
We've sat in your chair.
Not just advisors — operators.
Most financial advisors look at your business from the outside. Our team has actually been inside — as internal CFOs, management consultants, and business operators. We've built the financial models, managed the cash flow cycles, and navigated the entity structure decisions firsthand.
That means when we look at your situation, we're not guessing. We've seen the patterns from the operator's seat — and we know which moves actually move the needle.
Good Deals is an independent fiduciary. We don't work for an insurance company or a wirehouse. We work for you. No proprietary products, no sales quotas — just the best path forward for your specific situation.
- CFA charterholder — one of the most rigorous credentials in finance
- Internal CFO experience — we've managed P&Ls, cash flow, and entity structure from the inside
- Management consulting background — financial modeling, growth strategy, and M&A advisory for businesses from startup to $50M+
- Licensed insurance professionals — life, disability, and commercial coverage, not just referrals
- Independent and fiduciary — legally required to act in your best interest
- Austin, TX based — we know the local market, the tax landscape, and the business community
Ready to keep more of what you earn?
30-minute conversation built for real estate. No pressure. We'll look at your specific situation and identify the highest-leverage opportunities.
The concepts behind your financial strategy.
Every decision connects to others. Click a node to explore the ideas that drive better outcomes for real estate businesses.