I did not want to incur the cost but I figured...that maybe....just maybe....sometime in the near future us ADU home owners may be able to rent both units....like a duplex.At that point it will be worth it to let the tenets be responsible for their own bills.Not saying that other ways are bad...they are actually very cost effective if you are living there...but what about as you scale your business and move onto other properties.This of course if your city will allow you to rent both units...the city I am in is tough but things can change as more pressure is being put on affordable housing.Once again...not saying any way is right or wrong...I just did it this way for the reason I just mentioned.Thank you....

Quote from @Danielle DeCormis: DM me the address if you don’t mind.  

@Phillip Austin I self-manage my properties including some where I do rent by room as a primary strategy, and it is very effective if done well with good screening in place.The difference is starting with shorter leases for me. 

Hi Shawn-Congratulations on starting out on your real estate investing career.You have a question about whether it is good to have your real estate license or not as an investor and you are leaning toward multifamily investing.I personally think having your real estate license is helpful as an investor.Having your real estate license allows you to work with other investors to help them build their portfolios which helps expand your network while being productive, you can research market value more effectively, find out about deals before they are listed, and of course it allows you to collect the commission on purchasing any listed property.To Your Success!

Georgia, a state not mentioned, offers a 20% penalty so if the encumbered deed is redeemed after 1st month your effective rate of return is 240%!

But address it asap before the pipes freeze or it hits the news station. 

Yep for one especially in the early stages a hard credit pull would not be useful, just have them do soft checks for the time being and opt out of credit solicitation: www.optoutprescreen.com I could be biased... that said typically working with one lender than can help regardless of where you're looking and having a relationship with that will provide the easiest and most cost effective route long term. 

Ironically I grew up less than 10 minutes from this address (I currently live about 40 minutes away), so I still know the area well.

More than a tax strategy, these are education planning tools, and they need to be addressed in a broader context than just taxes.

@Sam Alpha  I think this thread is effectively over.