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Trust accounting, demystified

Guides and troubleshooting for property management bookkeeping — written from state audit manuals, disciplinary records, and real reconciliation work.

AppFolio Adjusted Cash Balance Off? Find the Cause in This Order

The most common causes of an off adjusted cash balance in AppFolio — cross-period voids, stranded clearing accounts, migration errors — and how to locate the exact transaction.

Troubleshooting · 2026-07-16

Why Your Buildium Reconciliation Won't Balance: 9 Causes and Fixes

The nine mechanical causes of an out-of-balance Buildium reconciliation — wrong opening balances, cross-period voids, bulk transfers — and how to find each one.

Troubleshooting · 2026-07-16

Negative Owner Balance in Your PMS: Why It's More Serious Than It Looks

A negative owner balance means one owner's expenses were paid with other owners' money — conversion of client funds in most states. What causes it, how to find every instance, and how to fix it.

Compliance · 2026-07-16

Property Management Accounting: The Complete Guide (2026)

How property management accounting actually works: trust vs operating accounts, security deposits, management fees, owner statements, three-way reconciliation, 1099s, and the errors that get companies cited in state audits.

Guides · 2026-07-16

Three-Way Reconciliation for Property Managers: The Complete Guide

How to do a three-way trust reconciliation step by step — bank statement, trust ledger, and the sum of every owner and tenant balance — plus the failure patterns that keep the three legs from tying out.

Guides · 2026-07-16

The Trust Account Audit Checklist: What State Auditors Actually Ask For

A 24-point checklist of what state real estate auditors request and verify in a property management trust account audit — compiled from state audit manuals and disciplinary records.

Compliance · 2026-07-16