In this episode of Under the Hood, Miguel and Ashton talk about how their approach to sales has evolved.  From chasing every opportunity to slowing down and figuring out if it’s actually the right fit, they get into how they open calls, why rapport matters, and what happens when sales and onboarding stay connected. It’s a candid look at how they think about selling today and why sometimes the best decision is walking away.

How to Reduce Taxes on Your Rental Properties

You bought a rental property years ago. Maybe decades ago. It’s appreciated significantly, you’ve depreciated it down to almost no basis, and now the thought of selling makes you nervous because of the tax bill. Additionally, you’re also tired of the maintenance calls, the liability, the capital expenditures that always seem to hit at the worst time.

In this episode, Miguel sits down with Ari Rubin, founder of Flock Homes, to walk through the 721 exchange. It’s a lesser-known section of the tax code that lets you contribute your property into a partnership, receive shares in return, and defer all capital gains and depreciation recapture without triggering a taxable event. Ari explains who this works for, how Flock operates at scale with over 1,100 homes, and why younger investors are using this strategy just as often as retirees.

Insights from this episode include:

• Why you can’t just retire from being a landlord, and how the 721 exchange lets you step away from management, liability, and surprise expenses while keeping your equity intact
• How the 721 exchange differs from a 1031 exchange and why it’s been used in equities for decades to diversify concentrated stock positions
• The three ongoing benefits: continued income distributions, exposure to housing market appreciation across a diversified portfolio, and ongoing depreciation from new CapEx
• How redemptions work and why taking cash out of the fund is treated as a reduction in basis (like a cash-out refi) rather than a taxable sale
• When cost segregation makes sense for rental property owners (and when it doesn’t) 

About Our Guest

Ari Rubin, Founder of Flock Homes, a platform that helps landlords exit their rental properties and transition to passive ownership through the 721 exchange, deferring capital gains while maintaining exposure to real estate income and appreciation Visit flockhomes.com to learn more .

Email Ari directly at [email protected]

Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or reach out at [email protected]

In this episode of Under the Hood, Miguel and Ashton talk about culture at Centurion - what it looks like when it’s working and what it looks like when it’s not. They discuss a hire that forced them to rethink what really matters, why respecting people’s time is non-negotiable, and how real feedback is one of the most important ways to honor someone’s work. It’s an honest conversation about how culture shows up in the day-to-day and why it ultimately impacts the bottom line.

Most business owners have cash sitting in a checking account earning nothing. They assume treasury strategy is too complicated, too risky, or only worth it once the numbers get big enough. Meanwhile, inflation is quietly eroding their buying power every month.

In this episode, Miguel sits down with Mike Dombrowski of Rho to break down what treasury strategy actually is and how founders at any stage can start putting idle cash to work. Mike’s framing is simple - every dollar in your business is an invisible employee. If it’s sitting in a checking account earning nothing, it’s not showing up to work.

Other insights from this episode include:

• Why treasury strategy used to require a full CFO function and a Wall Street relationship and how technology has changed that
• Why being too conservative with your cash is itself a risk, and why Mike thinks of treasury as an insurance policy rather than an investment
• The investment options worth knowing, including FDIC sweep products, treasury bills, and money market funds 
• How the “reverse sweep” automates your cash flow so your operating account never runs dry without you watching it every day
• Why certificates of deposit can look attractive but leave you unable to access your cash when you need it
• How rising and falling interest rates should affect the duration of your investments, and why most small businesses shouldn’t be trying to game the rate environment
• Stacking three strategies (treasury yield, 2% cash back on business spend, and R&D tax credits) and what the combined number can look like for a $2 million business

About Our Guest

Michael Dombrowski is the Corporate Treasury Advisor at Rho - a financial platform that gives businesses of all sizes access to treasury management, business banking, and automated cash flow tools.

Visit rho.co to learn more about Rho Treasury and the full platform.

Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or reach out at [email protected]

How We Got Here: The Origin Story 

Before Miguel and Ashton worked on bringing tax credits and advisory strategies to small and medium sized businesses, they were debate partners at South High School in Torrance, CA. This is their origin story of how a whiteboard strategy in Miguel's LA apartment and a three-month trial period turned into seven years of scaling a 7-figure tax advisory business together at Centurion Firm. They also break down the tactics they've developed for running client calls as a duo, including how their old high school debate team dynamic translates directly to making sure they're solving for what the client actually needs.

Most vacation rental owners buy a property, throw in some furniture, and hope for the best. Then they wonder why the bookings are inconsistent and the nightly rate never reaches what the numbers promised.

But what if you could incorporate a design strategy that changed your business for the better?

In this episode, Miguel sits down with Erica Dike, principal designer at Erica O Designs, to walk through her Designing for Dollars formula. After leaving a career at NASA, Erica has gone on to design over 78 vacation rentals while bringing a business-analyst mindset to every property.

Other insights from this episode include:

• Why designing for “everyone” is the fastest way to attract no one and how to identify your ideal guest before you buy a single piece of furniture
• The Designing for Dollars formula: a data-driven approach to knowing exactly where to save and where to splurge in your budget
• The design trap that makes your property blend into every other listing in your market, and how “timeless design” helps create properties that “stop the scroll."
• Why your budget conversation has to happen before you close on the property, not after
• Common design mistakes that quietly kill your occupancy rate - including TV placement, seating capacity, and underestimating the work-from-home traveler
• The one small kitchen appliance that can directly influence your bookings (and it’s not what you’d expect)

About Our Guest

Erica Dike is the principal designer at Erica Ooh Designs, specializing in vacation rental design for investors and busy professionals. With a background in Management Information Systems and experience as a business analyst at NASA, Erica brings a systems-first approach to interior design - one focused on ROI, not just aesthetics. 

Visit ericaooh.com to schedule a consultation, request a pricing estimate, or book a design audit. You can also follow Erica on Instagram at @ericaoohdesigns for design tips, guides, and before/after reels.

Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or reach out at [email protected]

AI Search Strategy for Business Owners

Many business owners are watching their website traffic drop without understanding why. Miguel experienced this firsthand when Tax Hack's blog traffic plummeted from 88,000 to 3,000 unique visitors. 

The culprit? AI overviews are changing how people find information online.

In this episode, Miguel sits down with Ryan Russell, founder and CEO of BizIQ, to get answers. If you're seeing similar drops or wondering how to stay visible as AI changes search, this episode breaks down what's actually happening and what to do about it. Ryan Russell, founder of BizIQ, shares findings from asking AI platforms directly where they source their business recommendations and the answers point to clear actions you can take.

Other insights from this episode include:

• Where AI platforms actually get their business information (spoiler alert: your Google Business Profile matters more than you think)
• Why AI search and traditional search work together, not against each other
• The ranking factors that determine if you show up in AI recommendations
• Practical tactics for optimizing your Google Business Profile, including the underutilized Products & Services section
• Content strategy in the AI era: quality vs. quantity and what's actually working
• The truth about using AI-generated content on your website
• Three actions you can take this week to test and improve your AI visibility

About Our Guest

Ryan Russell, Founder & CEO of BizIQ, a search optimization expert whose team researches how businesses can adapt to AI-driven discovery.

Visit biziq.com/contact for a free audit or consultation

Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or [email protected]

Ever wonder what happens when finance, technology, and tax strategy all come together? In this recap, we dive into how Rho’s unified financial platform can streamline operations and help you maximize your R&D tax credit. 

 #WebinarRecap #TaxHack #FinTech” 

CALCULATE YOUR R&D TAX CREDIT NOW!
Use our free, no obligation R&D Calculator:
https://mytaxhack.com/r-and-d-calcula...

LET'S CONNECT!
https://www.instagram.com/taxhack
https://www.youtube.com/@taxhackaccountinggroup2945
https://www.linkedin.com/company/taxhack/mycompany/
https://www.x.com/TaxHackAmerica/
http://www.mytaxhack.com

NEED TAX HELP? CONTACT US TODAY!
https://mytaxhack.com/connect/
Email: [email protected]

CALCULATE YOUR R&D TAX CREDIT NOW!
Use our free, no obligation R&D Calculator:
https://mytaxhack.com/r-and-d-calcula...

LET'S CONNECT!
instagram.com/taxhack
www.youtube.com/@taxhackaccountinggroup2945
www.linkedin.com/company/taxhack/mycompany/
www.x.com/TaxHackAmerica/
http://www.mytaxhack.com

NEED TAX HELP? CONTACT US TODAY!
https://mytaxhack.com/connect/
Email: [email protected]