Having said that, in an audit or IRS challenge, the decision is all going to turn on your intent at the time you purchased the property you are considering converting to your primary residence.

First thing.Anything under 1 million in price will likely be a local bank financing.They are regulated by bank auditors.

If i want to list the house as 2 full baths, I will need to have that also reflected on the auditor site, and that requires permits.

Anyways I'm in the middle of finding my first few deals, basically I got a targeted audience list from my county's auditor and controller and executed multiple direct mail campaigns with my offer.

I am a certified project management professional (PMP) and a tax analyst/auditor by profession, but I've played around with the idea of accepting a pay cut to work somewhere in the real estate industry.

From originally searching for a row home in Baltimore and contemplating rehabbing to 5 months later purchasing a new townhouse in suburbs of Howard County.After graduating from the Robert Smith Business School at the University of Maryland, College Park with dual degrees in Accounting and Information Systems I began working at PricewaterhouseCoopers as an auditor.

If the lot purchase didn't go through MLS, it'll still be public record on the Auditor site.  

Hi Jake, I would suggest calling the auditor's office of the county where you will be purchasing.

I have been an Internal Auditor for an international manufacturing corporation for the last two years.  

Independent appraisers hired by banks and review appraisers hired by bank auditors or bank over-sight agencies reconcile actual observed construction features with assessment and building department records.You mentioned that your Realtor has found recent sales for you to use as support for lowering your assessment on appeal.