Always know what your business is actually making.
Books handled. Numbers in your inbox by the 15th. Questions answered within one business day. You run the business, I make sure you're never guessing.
Hi, I'm Elbert Ballo.
I own rental property myself, including a 65-unit building in Oklahoma. So I've had the experience of opening a property manager's statement, comparing it to what actually hit the bank, and having no idea why the two didn't match.
I was a software engineer before this, where “close enough” doesn't compile. That's most of why I'm good at the part of bookkeeping other people find tedious. I don't mind chasing an $18 difference until it's gone.
You work with me, not a rotating team. Your books, my name on them. Bookkeeping is the whole business here, not a line item inside a tax practice — here's why that matters.
I live in Garden Grove with my wife and our two daughters. If your business is on Main Street, in Little Saigon, over in Midway City, up in Stanton, out in Cypress, down in Fountain Valley, around the Circle in Old Towne Orange, along Brookhurst in Little Arabia, or in a studio in the Artist Village in Santa Ana, there's a good chance I've been by. Run a crew instead? See job costing for contractors.
Your books should make you money, not just record it
Catch problems while they're cheap
A cost that jumped or a job that lost money shows up within weeks, not at tax time next April.
Price your work with confidence
Know your real costs, not your gut feeling of them. Quote jobs and set rates from numbers instead of nerves.
Keep more at tax time
Organized books mean a smaller CPA bill and no missed write-offs.
Get to "yes" faster on loans
Banks move fast on clean, current numbers and slow on shoeboxes. Your books hold up on day one.
Know your cash before it surprises you
Profit on paper doesn't pay rent. You'll see your real cash position every month.
Get your Sundays back
No more month-end categorizing marathons. Your only job is reading the report.
Your books, closed by the 15th. Every month.
Own rentals? Know what every door makes you.
I'm an investor myself, so I keep books the way an owner actually thinks. Each property gets its own books, and an underperformer can't hide inside the portfolio average.
- Spot the money pit early A P&L and cash flow for every property
- See your wealth grow, not just your cash Principal paydown tracked as equity
- No surprise checks at move-out Deposits held as liabilities, not spent as income
- A tax-time handoff your CPA will love CapEx separated from repairs, all year
- Single-family to apartment buildings 5+ unit properties priced per unit, with unit-level rent tracking
Investor bookkeeping, in detail → Guide: tracking rental P&L → Vacation rentals in Huntington Beach →
From "I think it's fine" to knowing
Free look at your books
30 minutes. You leave with an honest read on what's solid and what's costing you, whether we work together or not.
Clean slate
Setup, cleanup if needed, and per-property tracking if you own rentals. Everything current.
One email a month
Reports by the 15th with a plain-English note on what changed. Reading it takes five minutes.
One flat price. No meter running.
Quoted up front. A question never costs you money, and your bill never surprises you.
Monthly Bookkeeping
Your books handled every month.
- Books done by the 15th
- Profit and cash position, always current
- A plain-English note on what changed
- Tax season becomes a handoff
- Answers within one business day
Investor
Monthly bookkeeping, per property.
- Everything in Monthly Bookkeeping
- Each property's cash flow, separately
- Portfolio summary at a glance
- Equity from paydown, tracked
- CapEx separated for your CPA
- Apartment buildings priced per unit, not per property ($350 building minimum)
Cleanup & Catch-up
Behind on your books? Get current.
- Every account reconciled and current
- Duplicates & miscategorizations fixed
- Full setup included, no separate fee
- Full cost quoted before work starts
- Most cleanups take 2 to 4 weeks
Wondering if that's a fair price? Is $300/month reasonable? · Flat fee vs. hourly, compared
I do bookkeeping. Only bookkeeping. Well.
What you get
- Every transaction categorized, monthly
- Bank, card & loan accounts reconciled
- What you made, what you owe, what's in the bank — P&L, Balance Sheet & cash, monthly
- Deposits & taxes held as proper liabilities
- Clean, current, CPA-ready books
What I don't do
- Tax returns or tax advice Your CPA's job. My books cut their hours
- Sales tax filings Recorded right; you or your CPA file
- Payroll processing I record it; a payroll service runs it
- Invoicing & collections You send them; I book them right
What you can hold me to
Reports by the 15th
Documents to me by the 1st, numbers in your inbox by the 15th. If anything threatens that date, you hear it from me first.
No surprise bills
One flat price, quoted before we start. No meter running on your questions.
Fast answers
Email me Tuesday, hear back by Wednesday. Usually sooner.
Your books stay yours
Everything lives in your own QuickBooks account. If we part ways, you keep clean, documented books.
QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor
Certified by Intuit in bookkeeping and in the software your books run on. Verify on Intuit's ProAdvisor directory.
Based in Garden Grove. Working across Orange County.
Books are kept in QuickBooks Online, so location never gets in the way of the work — these are simply the cities most clients call home.
Before you book
I'm months (or years) behind. Is that a problem?
I have just one rental in an LLC. Do I really need the full Investor plan?
What does setup involve, and why is it separate?
I own an apartment building. Do you handle 5+ units?
Still have a question?
Ask before you book, no pressure. Or just say hi and tell me about your business.
Call or text: (714) 253-4647 elbert@ballobookkeeping.com Browse all questions →Find out where your books really stand
A free 30-minute consult. You'll leave with a clear picture of what your books need, even if we never work together.
Book a call with Elbert