We recently started playing piano and Nicole and the boys are taking piano lessons. Here's what we've learned so far :)

• Clearly communicate the time expectation up front. The time that I was away from the family while working, or while the kids were too small to be in the dangerous area without supervision.
• Take tons of pictures, because you’ll want to remember the insane amount of work it was
• Have the right tools for the job: crowbar, full body paint suits for under the house.
• Bluetooth speakers 
• 3m drywall sanding screens
• Drywall sander
• Texture
• Paint
  • Bigger than a quarter to match color
  • Match the finish: matte vs flat vs satin vs semi gloss and gloss
    • Matte and flat - good for bedroom and living room
      • Pro- easy to touch up
      • Con- hold dirt and hard to clean because removes finish
    • Satin - perl like sheen when dry - high traffic area like kitchen and kid bathroom
      • Pro: stands up well to cleaning
      • Con:  doesn’t hid imperfections
    • Semi gloss and gloss - reflects most light (bathroom and kitchen)
      • Pro: durable and scrubbable
      • Con: shows every single imperfection

We talk about:

• Finding good renters
  • Do credit checks
  • Be patient it can take many showings to find the right renters
  • Use renter screening tools like cozy.co 
• Be extremely clear about expectations
  • Make sure to have a clause in the contract that requires a per day late fee over a set number of days. E.g. after 3 days, each day late costs $25/day
  • Be clear about pet cleaning fees 
  • If they want an exception for an animal, try to get a good idea if they really need the pet or not. I wish we asked for some sort of proof that the animal was required otherwise we would’ve charged extra
• Set up monthly or quarterly visits from a landscaper for the exterior
• Being your own handyman
• Other ways you can invest in long term properties

We recommend:

• Roofstock - Build Wealth through Real Estate 
• Second Nature - Filter subscription
• Starbucks - Maryland You Are Here mug
• Starbucks - Seattle Been There mug
• Cozy - Free property management
• Nest Learning Thermostat
• Airbnb - Our Tahoe Short Term Rental

We talk about:

• Choosing a hospital, birth center, or homebirth
• Reasons you should consider a home birth
• Our hospital birth story
• Importance of hiring a doula 
• What is a Certified Professional Midwife
• Interviewing and choosing a midwife
• Storing cord blood
• Delayed cord clamping
• Placenta Encapsulation
• Cost of a homebirth
• Postpartum visits with a midwife

We recommend:

• The Business of Being Born
• Comparison chart of CNM, CM, CPM
• The BMJ Safety of Home Birth Study 
• CMAJ Outcomes of planned home birth vs hospital birth study
• Over the Top - Jonathan Van Ness
• Never Split the Difference - Chris Voss

We talk about:

• Finding us on social media
• Purchasing a second home
• Choosing a lender and why rates are higher for investment properties
• Investing more money into your downpayment
• Renting out a house as a short term rental
• Finding tax breaks with your investment property
• Remodeling homes 
• Creating a budget for a short term rental

We recommend:

• Calm - magnesium
• How you spend your days - Podcast
• Emeals - Dave Ramsey
• Instagram - AvillaTheory
• Twitter - @AvillaTheory
• Our Red House - Airbnb
• Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
• The Switch Bag - Danielle Fabri and Angela S. Bigotti
• Wahl Cord/Cordless Clippers
• Professional Barber Cape

We talk about:

• Reevaluating and recalibrating our finances 
• Turning a budget into a challenge/game
• Tracking methods for spending
• Creating monthly and long term financial goals
• Spending money on things you are passionate about
• Watching feel-good movies
• Update on what we are currently reading

We recommend:

• Mint
• Cook Smarts
• I Will Teach You To Be Rich - Ramit Sethi
• Becoming - Michelle Obama
• Permanent Record - Edward Snowden
• CITIZENFOUR
• goodreads
• Big
• Mighty Ducks
• Mighty Ducks 2
• Angels in the Outfield
• Remember the Titans

We talk about:

• Buying tickets
• Finding a hotel/airbnb
• Renting a stroller
• Download the Disney app
• Eating with restrictions
• Scheduling rides
• Resting places in the parks

We recommend:

• Download the Disney App
• Costco Disney Packages
• AAA Disney Packages
• Instacart
• BabyQuip

We talk about: 

• Creating monthly outings with friends
• Investing our time into our community