Insights & analysis
Reserve studies, HOA capital planning, and real estate tax strategy — written for boards and investors, not accountants.
When HOA Insurance Eats Your Reserves
California HOA insurance costs have reset permanently higher. The damage rarely shows up in the insurance line — it shows up in the reserve contribution.
Cost Segregation and 1031 Exchanges: Order Matters
Cost segregation and 1031 exchanges work together — but the sequence decides whether you get a six-figure deduction or a surprise recapture bill.
What Happens in a Cost Segregation Audit
The IRS publishes its cost segregation audit playbook — 348 pages of it. Here's what examiners actually check, and what a study built to survive looks like.
Does Your State Require a Reserve Study?
State law on reserve studies ranges from strict to silent. But there's a second rulebook that applies in all 50 states, and most boards have never read it.
FHA Condo Approval and Your Reserve Fund
FHA requires condo projects to put 10% of assessments into reserves — unless a reserve study says otherwise. HUD's own rulebook writes the exception in.
Full vs. Threshold vs. Baseline Reserve Funding
Every reserve study offers your board three funding plans. As of August 3, 2026, picking the cheapest one can cost your owners their mortgages.
How to Read a Reserve Study
Your association paid thousands for an 80-page reserve study. Here's how a board member actually reads one — the five numbers that matter and where they hide.
When a Cost Segregation Study Isn't Worth It
We sell cost segregation studies — and we turn away buyers regularly. Here are the six situations where the honest answer is no, or at least not yet.
How to Choose a California Reserve Study Company
Three proposals, three prices, no way to compare them. Here's what actually separates reserve study firms — and the questions that expose the difference.
Why Your Cost Segregation Losses Might Be Stuck
A cost segregation study can create a six-figure deduction you can't legally use. The passive activity loss rules decide who can — and how to qualify.
Cost Segregation on a Property You Already Own
You didn't miss the window. A look-back study claims every year of missed depreciation at once, on this year's return, with no amended returns required.
How Much Should an HOA Have in Reserves?
There's no single dollar answer. The number that matters is percent funded — under 30% is weak, over 70% is strong. Here's how to find and read yours.
How to Avoid a Special Assessment
Special assessments aren't bad luck — they're arithmetic. What triggers them, what a board can impose without a vote, and how to head one off in time.
SB 326 Balcony Inspections and Your Reserve Study
California's SB 326 requires balcony inspections every nine years, and the report must feed your reserve study. SB 410 added new rules effective January 2026.
Depreciation Recapture: What Cost Segregation Costs You at Sale
Cost segregation front-loads deductions, but recapture at sale is taxed at ordinary rates. The real math on when it pencils — and when it doesn't.
Fannie Mae's 15% Reserve Rule — and the Way Around It
Fannie Mae is raising condo reserve funding from 10% to 15%. A current reserve study is the documented alternative — but the rules tighten in August.
Georgia's SB 406: What Every HOA Board Must Do Before 2027
Georgia's new Property Owners' Bill of Rights requires HOA registration and rewrites collections. Part of it is already in effect. Here are the real dates.
Your Engineer Found Balcony Damage. How Do You Pay for It?
California caps special assessments at 5% without a member vote — but a safety threat in your SB 326 report may qualify as an emergency exception.
Short-Term Rental Cost Segregation: Cut Year-One Taxes
The short-term rental loophole lets Airbnb losses offset your W-2 income — no REP status required. Here's how cost segregation makes it pay in 2026.
REP Status: The Tax Code's Holy Grail (IRS Is Watching)
REP (Real Estate Professional) status can turn passive real estate losses into active-income tax savings — but the IRS demands contemporaneous logs.
The 4 Key Documents You Need for a Cost Segregation Study
Learn the 4 essential documents—from closing statements to blueprints—you need for a seamless, compliant cost segregation study and maximized depreciation.
OBBBA + Cost Segregation: 100% Bonus Depreciation 2025
The OBBBA law restores 100% bonus depreciation for 2025. Learn how cost segregation can use this to create massive Year 1 tax write-offs for your property.
The Handoff: What New HOA Board Members Need to Know
What new HOA board members need to know about reserve studies, fiduciary duty, red flags, and how to avoid costly mistakes in their first 30 days.
How TCJA Bonus Depreciation Supercharges Cost Segregation
The 2017 TCJA supercharged Cost Segregation via 100% bonus depreciation, letting real estate investors accelerate deductions and boost cash flow.
California's New AB 130 Law Caps HOA Fines at $100
California's AB 130 caps most HOA fines at $100 and bars late fees and interest, with a health/safety exception for boards.
Investing HOA Reserve Funds: Safety, Liquidity, Yield
How HOA boards can safely invest reserve funds: prioritize safety, liquidity, and yield with FDIC-insured accounts, CDs, CD ladders, and Treasuries.
Cost Segregation Study: Tax Strategy for Investors
Unlock big tax savings on your Airbnb or STR with a cost segregation study that front-loads deductions and boosts your property's ROI.
Why Your Community Needs a Reserve Study
What is a reserve study? A financial roadmap that helps community associations avoid special assessments, protect property values, and plan ahead.
California's Reserve Study Law: A Quick Guide
A guide to California's reserve study law for HOA boards, covering key Davis-Stirling Act requirements to ensure compliance and protect your community.
3 Critical Mistakes HOAs Make With Their Reserve Study
Learn 3 common HOA reserve study mistakes, like mishandling the funding plan and poor communication, that boards must avoid.
The True Cost of Delay: Dangers of an Underfunded Reserve
Delaying reserve contributions is costly. This guide unpacks the dangers of underfunded HOA reserves, from special assessments to falling property values.
