GHL Properties presents

Trap Math

THE STR EDITION

The gap between the math everyone shows you and the math nobody runs for you.

We expose the Trap Math. Then we run the Real Math.

Run the Real Math

The five costs of going long-term

that nobody puts in front of you

1

The Furniture Cost

Store it and pay every month with no end date: $150-$225/mo climate-controlled, plus $700-$1,400 in movers to get it there. Or sell it and take the haircut. Used furniture brings 20-50% of what you paid.

2

The Vacancy Cost

Tenants have options. Options mean your home waits. True vacancy runs 4-6 months all-in. The mortgage runs the whole time. Then the leasing fee typically takes the first month's rent.

3

The Turnover Cost

Hard costs run $1,000-$5,000. And you can't collect rent on a house you're fixing. The make-ready month is a zero-revenue month.

4

The Tax Cost

Real estate losses can offset your W-2 and 1099 income through the short-term rental door. Going long-term walks you out of it. Ask your CPA what that door is worth.

5

The Control Cost

A guest never signs a lease. A tenant who stops paying gets the full court process. Go long-term, and you volunteer for the slow lane.

What's the Real Math of going long-term?

The invoice for going long-term

Your numbers, anchored to real ones

1. The furniture cost$0
2. The vacancy cost$0
3. The turnover cost$0
4. The tax costask your CPA
5. The control costthe slow lane
The math nobody ran for you$0

Line 4 is not in this total. The tax door is real money, and it is your CPA's number to give you. Line 5 has no price tag until the day you need the courts. Sources: GHL Properties portfolio data 2025-2026; Doorstead Houston market report 2026; Houston storage, moving, and turnover market data 2026. GHL Properties gives no tax or investment advice.

What's the Real Math of going long-term?

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