That protects us personally from liability because we are not personally making any decisions.  

I strictly use them to trade into places I really want to go and I can never, ever beat the price I pay for a week as compared to normal rentals rates which are three to seven times higher per night.  

The IRS requires the hours to be specifically in real estate trades or businesses, which typically means activities directly related to owning, developing, operating, or managing real estate properties.IRS Publication 925 outlines what counts as real estate trade or business activities, like development, construction, acquisition, management, leasing, and rental operations.

I don't regret waiving my inspection (or ability to negotiate on that), but I probably would have sent a few trades through.

And then on top of that, you still need to pass the trade exam. 

In realms where shadows veil the light,I shift possessions overnight.Deferring burdens none can see,I weave the threads of property.A spectral path to trade unseen,What method moves behind the screen?"

@Tyler BaileyTough decision.

Your cashflow is decent for the two investment condos and you have reduced maintenance there because of the HOA (but you have HOA which is a hindrance), but I would rather sell those and trade up to a multi with no HOA.

Meetups are the best for meeting people of all trades in Real Estate and it’s a safe environment. 

Education is important, but I think the decision of how to invest money needs to hinge on how much capital you're likely to have to deploy to various activities and how much time you intend to invest actively managing deals versus selling your time into other productive endeavors.