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92% to 54% Occupancy: The Deal I Underwrote and Invested in Myself and Still Got Blindsided
This deal went from 92% occupancy at closing to 54% occupancy.
Notes from the field.
Truth and transparency from 25-plus years of experience. We talk about what we did, what we are doing, or what we are thinking of doing. Telling it how it is. Read below to learn more…
From our Substack newsletter.
The latest from Taking It Apart — 25 years managing projects and IT organizations taught me to take apart what a vendor claims before signing. Same now with businesses and multifamily deals. $225,000 of my money in first. I write the diligence down so you can run it before you sign.
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A Seller Note Is Not “Skin in the Game”
Deferred payment and shared risk are not the same thing.
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The Owner Is the Business. That Is the Problem.
Before paying a multiple of earnings, determine how much of those earnings can survive the ownership transition.
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The Bank Approved the Deal. I Would Still Walk Away.
SBA approval can validate the loan without validating the acquisition.
From the blog Underwriting AI AI Business Strategy Acquisitions Workflow Remote Work SEO Automation Software
Articles & guides.
The Complete Guide to Multifamily Deal Underwriting in 2026
How to underwrite a multifamily deal step by step: the framework, the metrics that matter, the mistakes that kill returns, and the 2026 operator's toolkit.
· Manny Del Val
Read → How AI Is Impacting Business Decisions in 2026
AI is making real decisions inside real businesses every day. A plain-language look at where AI helps, where it hurts, and how small businesses should use it.
· Manny Del Val
Read → Will AI Replace Me? An Honest Look for Small Business Owners and Operators
If you run a small business, you've wondered: will AI make me obsolete? A straight answer based on what we're seeing across real estate, healthcare, and more.
· Manny Del Val
Read → How Technology Can Help Add Revenue to Your Business
Most owners think of technology as a cost. Used well, it's one of the fastest ways to add revenue to a small business. Here's how, in plain language.
· Manny Del Val
Read → How to Buy a Small or Mid Size Business — and What to Look For
Buying a profitable small business is one of the best wealth-building paths in 2026. A plain-language guide to finding deals, vetting them, and closing one.
· Manny Del Val
Read → When to Replace Your Spreadsheet with Real Software
Every business has that one spreadsheet nobody wants to touch. How to tell when it's time to replace it, what it's costing you, and how to do it safely.
· Manny Del Val
Read → Remote Work Done Right: What 25 Years of Lessons Teach Us in 2026
I've deployed remote-work technology since the late 1990s, from Citrix onward. What actually works, what doesn't, and 25 years of lessons for 2026.
· Manny Del Val
Read → SEO, AEO, and GEO Explained: How Small Businesses Get Found in 2026
Search has changed and most small businesses haven't caught up. A plain-language guide to SEO, AEO, and GEO — what they are and how to win at all three.
· Manny Del Val
Read → Five Workflows Every Small Business Should Automate First
Automating everything at once is the fastest way to automate nothing. Here are the five workflows almost every small business should automate first — and why.
· Manny Del Val
Read → How to Choose Business Software Without Getting Burned
Almost every owner has bought software that didn't deliver. Here's a plain-language framework for choosing business software so you stop getting burned.
· Manny Del Val
Read →