Apollo AdvisingGuides
Plain-language explanations of the numbers and rules behind the most common rental property decisions. Written and reviewed by Denver McClure.
Selling, 1031 exchanges, and taxes
The 1031 exchange timeline, step by stepThe 45-day and 180-day deadlines, the identification rules, and what to line up before you list.When a 1031 exchange does not make senseSix situations where paying the tax can beat deferring it, and how to run the comparison.Depreciation recapture: the tax most rental sellers forgetWhat recapture is, why it applies even if you never claimed depreciation, and how to estimate it before you list.Renting out your old house instead of selling itThe three-year window for the home sale exclusion, what renting costs you in taxes, and how to decide.Inherited a rental property? What to decide firstStepped-up basis, the first 90 days, and how heirs compare keeping, selling, and exchanging.Return on equity: the rental number most owners never checkHow to calculate it, why it drifts down as a property appreciates, and what it does and does not tell you about selling.
Buying and financing
How to analyze a rental property before you buyCap rate, cash-on-cash return, DSCR, and the expense lines first-time buyers leave out.DSCR loans for rental property, explainedHow lenders calculate the ratio, what the loans usually cost, and when one fits.Cash-out refinance or HELOC on a rental?How each one works on an investment property, what they cost, and the cash flow test to run first.
Running a rental
Airbnb, medium-term, or long-term: comparing what you keepA side-by-side of costs, time, and rules, with a worked example on the same house.How much to budget for maintenance and capital expensesPercent-of-rent rules, component lifespans, and a reserve schedule you can build in an afternoon.Self-manage or hire a property manager?What managers charge, what you get for it, and how to price your own time honestly.
Texas and Dallas-Fort Worth
Protesting property taxes on a Texas rentalThe protest deadline, the evidence that works, and what changes when the 20% cap on rentals ends after 2026.Texas short-term rental taxes and city rulesHotel occupancy tax, the 30-day exemption, and the DFW city rules to check before you list.
Free worksheet: hold, sell, or 1031?
The 12 questions Denver works through with every owner deciding whether to keep, sell, or exchange a rental, in a two-page PDF. Plain language, no sales pitch.
This page is general education, not legal, tax, investment, insurance, or lending advice. See our disclosures.