Hi I am Anita from Kansas City

[Anita Parsa]

Hi, Bigger Pockets :)

My name is Anita and I live on the Kansas side in the KC metro area.

I am in the early stages of researching real estate investing.  I currently have a very small vacation rental business and my husband works full time.  He's hoping to retire in 5-7 years.

My plan is use some of our retirement savings (combined with leverage) to invest in real estate to supplement our retirement income.  

I'm interested in learning a lot more about tax impact of RE investments.  I'd especially love to hear from anyone who claims Real Estate Professional status on taxes.  I've read the relevant IRS forms but would love more real-world insights.  Depending on what activities count, I may have 150-250 hours per year already from my vacation rental business; I have the time & motivation to achieve this status but need to learn a lot more. 

Another question I have for anyone who has relevant experience is how to switch from a mostly appreciation based strategy to a cash flow based one. For the next 5-7 years until my husband retires, I am mostly focused on appreciation and gaining experience rather than cash flow, but after my husband retires the goal will be cash flow. Ideally I would have started 15 or 25 years ago and would be paying off mortgages around the time of retirement, but I didn't. I'm planning to start with an appreciation-focused SFH to begin getting experience & mitigate risk, then add deals that emphasize cash flow as I learn more.

Also, if anyone in the Kansas City area has recommendations for Real Estate Investing clubs or groups, I'd appreciate any referrals! 

Anita