I'm new to real estate investing and looking to connect with local investor.Thank youWhat are specific goals? 

The best way to do this is to renovate a unit or two to the specifications to bring it up to market.  

I will not comment as to the tax laws and underlying rules - that is a discussion you can have with your tax advisor who presumably you are paying to help you.What I will do is provide practical and business guidance on tracking time.Firstly, there are apps available that can assist with time tracking where you can specifically detail your time, who you met with, etc.

Eliminate debt, establish a budget, and save.

I specifically want to call out one of their Senior Accounts Associate, Charlotte Cunningham, who helped me through the process on my first purchase as I needed to buy a sizable amount of furniture quickly and she was able to help me make moves quickly...and didn't make me feel bad whatsoever when I pulled back a few items at the last minute I was able to find them cheaper elsewhere.

Any luck on motivating realtors in the area to actually get operating expenses/lease agreements for Jackson County specifically George?

Happy to connect if you have any specific questions you are looking to get answered or just want a general run down of the investing landscape here.

Specifically, I’m curious about the following:2/2 vs. 3/2 properties: Are there significant advantages to offering a 2/2?

kudos for your specific and thoughtful post. 

In both cases, having a property manager who can adapt to the specific needs of each asset type is essential.I believe that the best property managers understand that profitability and customer experience are not mutually exclusive—when both are done well, everyone benefits.Thanks for bringing up this great discussion!