However, employer profit-sharing contributions (up to 25% of W-2 wages) are not subject to FICA taxes and do not appear on the W-2.To stay IRS-compliant, ensure your Form W-2 and Form 941 properly reflect deferrals, and maintain a reasonable salary to avoid red flags.

Owning a duplex at 20 is a huge accomplishment, and it’s inspiring to see you’re already planning your next move.From my perspective, real estate investing is a long-term game focused on building equity, paying down debt, and maintaining stability over chasing short-term cash flow.

Meeting the 100-hour material participation rule qualifies your STR income as active as long as no one else participates more than you, This will allow losses to offset W-2 or other active income.While there’s no official IRS form to track hours, maintaining a detailed log is essential in case of an audit.

Maintain - includes taxes and insurance?

We have created work instructions for every step of the process so we can maintain consistency in how we evaluate properties, communicate with tenants, market our properties, handle rent increases, manage property turnover, etc.....

You will need to make sure that are no gaps in windows, doors, etc and that the HVAC system is well maintained as a tenant could argue that lack of remediation is the culprit for a high utility bill.

If maintaining cash flow is your primary objective, you might want to explore other options.

I want a real estate agent with a hustler's mentality, who knows the neighborhoods, studies appreciation and deal analysis already, understands short-term rentals, and is potentially looking to be a scalable partner with me.

To thrive in real estate investing, you must maintain a firm grip on your finances.

I love algorithm based cost seg studies.