Consequently, I am looking into townhomes as an alternative.

actually they are handed out like candy and keep adding laws with felony as consequences. btw felony is given to anyone who judge says must spend at least 365 days in jail or 1 day in prison. 

Section 162 prohibits deducting of educational expenses if they qualify you for a new trade or business.

The consequences are: family member comes along and sues or seller sues and gets the house back in court.

You want an accountant who can help you strategize and who is responsive when you want to know the consequences of the financial decisions you are making throughout the year.Good luck.

And for anyone who says we have bad contractors, consider that every builder has a construction manager, who does nothing but keep jobs moving, coordinating between trades and monitoring quality.I am a die-hard real estate investor, so it takes me quite a bit to say this: given the remote burden on your ROI, maybe an S&P500 index fund will deliver you better returns for much less headache?

They may have credit from all their trade lines that they also don't pay until the house is closed.   

Taxes are just one of many things to consider but decisions on real estate should not be solely based on tax consequences.

@Patrick Fricchione, You will not create any tax consequences simply by converting the use of a property. 

Median earnings among Austin residents rose 32% in the five-year span and trade-exports grew 34% within the same time period.Mesa, Arizona was named the No. 1 best economic boomtown in America, earning a score of 66 points.