He quoted a 20% fee for managing each successful booking and suggested we improve the staging of the house, which he would oversee for an additional 10% of the total staging costs.

Reduce Taxes through depreciation (If you don't meet the IRS definition of a real estate professional, it won't improve any W-2 income taxes)2.

I can’t find anyone who will do a second on the rental anyway, I have found a HELOC — I was debating at least shifting the construction loan over to the rental, but at 5% that still seems like a wash.I’m open to doing another rental property, I just don’t know if I’m stuck because of how low the rental mortgage rate is, and with how much it cash flows — I may not be able to improve much on that situation.My wife and I both work full time, and I have a part time second job to make it all work.  

So, you are not improving the effectiveness of the system.

I know it has had a rough decade or so but I believe things have been improving over the last few years.

Later, I emailed them asking if they could improve how they match credit card payments and not only did they agree that it was a good suggestion...they implemented it THE SAME DAY that I emailed.

This way, your rental income supports your next purchase, and you don’t need to save as much for down payments.Financing: Focus on improving your credit and saving for future down payments.

In fact, the market had improved by the spring of 2024.

In your case, since the roof replacement constitutes a substantial improvement to the property, it could warrant consideration for a partial disposition.

This is not a "real estate rental income" activity as defined by the IRS, so whether you are a REP or not, you can take this benefit.All of this is separate from a QOZ Investment, which would require you to first recognize a capital gain from another source (say a stock sale), invest that gain, hold it in a Corporate or Partnership structure (likely partnership), meeting the substantial improvement qualifications of being a QOZB, and then yes, you get to avoid the depreciation recapture at the end of the 10 year hold period, at least for the portion of your investment attributable to the original gain that you invested in the project.