How to underwrite an office-to-residential conversion using zoning, capex phasing and pro forma rent ramps that survive rising rates

I often get questions from readers about the practical side of taxes and family obligations: can you déduire une pension alimentaire de ses impôts, and if so, how do you do it correctly without triggering an audit or leaving money on the table? In this article I walk you through case 6QR on the French income tax return, what qualifies as deductible, documentation you need, common pitfalls, and a step‑by‑step approach I use when I review a...

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I often get asked whether it's better to structure a 1031 exchange into a Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) or to buy replacement property directly. Both routes can satisfy the like‑kind requirement for a 1031 exchange, but they feel very different in terms of control, fees, cash flow, liquidity and exit paths. Below I walk through the practical trade‑offs I use when advising investors, with concrete comparisons and the kinds of questions you...

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I often get asked whether a property makes more sense as a short-term rental (Airbnb) or a long-term lease. The intuitive answer—“it depends”—isn't very helpful. What I find useful, and what I’ll walk you through here, is a reproducible stress-test approach that combines occupancy shocks and market comps to give a clearer, data-driven recommendation for your city and your property.Why you need a stress test, not a fantasy budgetOwners...

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I often use option collars around dividend ETFs when I want to increase current yield without exposing the portfolio to unlimited downside. A properly constructed collar can convert a passive dividend position into a structured income engine: you keep the dividend, sell upside for premium, and cap downside with purchased puts. Below I walk through practical sizing, cost math, strike and expiration choices, rebalancing rules, and real-world...

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I recently sold a small single-family rental that had been part of my hands-on buy-and-hold strategy for several years. I loved the tangible feel of owning a house — the ability to inspect it, make cosmetic improvements, and directly influence cash flow. But I also ran the numbers and recognized the administrative burden, concentrated risk, and illiquidity that come with a single property. That led me to experiment with fractional real estate...

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I often find that the paperwork around the French contribution exceptionnelle sur les hauts revenus (CEHR) creates more anxiety than it needs to. If, like many readers, you want to déclarer correctement la contribution sur hauts revenus, this article is written from my hands-on perspective to walk you through the rules, the calculations, and the traps I’ve seen clients and colleagues fall into. I’ll stay practical and give the exact fields...

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I remember the first time I explored the fine print of the French income tax return: the forms are full of little boxes that can meaningfully change your tax bill if you know what to put where. One of those is déductions fiscales à inscrire en case 6qs — a phrase that, when translated into practice, often means the difference between leaving money on the table and lowering your taxable income legitimately.What is case 6QS and why I care...

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When I think about replacing an active small-cap value sleeve in a long-term portfolio, I look for a few non-negotiables: true value exposure (not just “small-cap”), low and predictable costs, tight tracking to a transparent index, and the right trade-offs for liquidity and turnover. Vanguard and BlackRock each offer solid passive ETF options that can replicate — and in many cases improve — the exposures delivered by active managers,...

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When I first explored rental arbitrage, I treated it like a financial experiment: could I capture the upfront cash flow benefits of short-term rentals without the capital barrier of buying properties? The answer, with the right strategy and partners, was yes — and one of the most reliable ways to scale that approach has been to pair rental arbitrage with Airbnb Plus. In this article I’ll walk you through what works, what doesn’t, and the...

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Holding a concentrated position in Bitcoin can feel like sitting on a rocket and a landmine at the same time: you want exposure to potential upside, but you also worry about the volatility and the tax bill if you liquidate. Over the years I’ve worked with investors who faced exactly this dilemma: how to convert a large crypto holding into a diversified, income-generating sleeve of a portfolio while avoiding a one-time, massive capital gains...

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