There are several different types of income in the US tax code.Two main types are “active income” and “passive income".Active income is money you earn from working, such as wages from a W-2 job or income from running a business.Passive income is money you earn from investments like real estate, stocks, or rental income from your RE portfolio where you earn $ without actively working.Normally, you can't use passive losses (like losses from real estate investments) to offset active income like your salary from a W-2 job.That is unless you are an RE Pro.The reality is, that Real Estate Pro status is just a filing status similar to filing married or jointly.And if you are a real estate professional you CAN use passive real estate losses to offset active income from other sources.To qualify as an RE Pro you must:1.

Bookings are lower in the beginning, when guests don't have reviews to read.

They do not always.....sometimes people have to eat some of the cleaning fees to avoid turning off guests. 

Also, don't foget to factor in charging for your ongoing time if the MTR guest requires assistance during their stay.

Less than 2 percent of Americans own physical precious metals gold and silver. 2.

Some people are comfortable driving a clunker car others want a status symbol vehicle of some sorts . 

We currently have 2 of our own and our guest house tenant keeps 2 here as well.

Brandon, I know this isn't the advice you're looking for but a good tax professional is worth their weight in gold and I'll be honest their quote can be reasonable.

Maybe pose as a possible guest first, just to hopefully get them to respond.As for some of the other items you discovered, you could try adding some heat to your emails.  

Imagine making millions of dollars throughout your career and then having to pay Uncle Sam 30-50% every year instead of compounding that cash over time.
This is exactly what real estate professionals have learned to ...