Up here (look north, waayyy north), I would think the benefits of a "first-time home-buyer" qualifying for a high-ratio mortgage - 5% (two units) or 10% (3-4 units) downpayment - would outweigh trying to count a portion of the rent (arbitrarily ~0 - 75% depending on the lender) from the unit you plan to occupy.

My humble opinion: while I see the value of education (CCIM and the like), volume of deals and relationships outweighs titles, especially in small communities in Montana.

Luis Rodriguez the tax benefits with a llc will out weigh any reason to do a s-Corp.

If you are doing a fix and flip and you invest in the right property with careful due diligence, the return you would get from it really outweighs the costs of a private or hard money loan.  

You never know what you'll get into, but in my experience the pros far outweigh the cons.

The people I know pay attention to the tax rate but the affect of the assessments far outweighs the small property tax increases I have seen recently.  

But still, I don't think that outweighs the flaws.

The cost outweighs the guess work of tear down during a dispute.

Plus if you get a pet deposit, I think the pros outweigh the cons.    

It will be hard to get a renovation loan for investment purposes with the renovation cost outweighing the purchase price, as Fannie Mae Homestyle loans limit renovation costs to 50% of the property's after improved value.