How do you know the condition of those three trades?

Therefore this is something that should be negotiated before a contract is signed.Something you wrote that stands out is the fact the GC purportedly has 40 employees but then only has one relationships with each subcontract trade.

I thought owner-occupied Notes were trading well, but had double digit yields. 

In general, travel for business(education, networking) is deductible if you are already in a trade or business(I.E. have a rental, flip).There are unique rules to deduct foreign travel costs.attendees may have a more difficult time writing off the cost of the trip if they add significant vacation days(no business) before or after the trip.However, you can plan properly to make the trip 100% deductible.

Traded $1,900 in rent for a small 1 bedroom apt to $1,500 in mortgage and house bills for a 3 bedroom apt in a house I owned.

Usually, the rental income is considered effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, and therefore, it is taxed under the effective regime.

Look for military and civilian workers selling their homes, for transfers out of town, or trade ups for bigger homes. 

It is your business and the operation will generate ordinary trade or business income.If you purchase property to hold for rent and then sell the property at a later date, then you have capital gains because it was held as investment property and not inventory.Joe

This is where having little to no experience makes it difficult because you probably won't have a track record with trades like plumbers and maintenance people so I'd work on building out those relationships as quickly as possible.

Insurance programs or discounts provided by one company to the members of a specific organization (ie. trade group, alumni group, company employees, etc..)2.