The first is that there's no consensus between tax professionals, and the second is that you will not like my personal interpretation.My interpretation is:Until the property is "placed in service" - everything goes into basis.Illustration.You buy a property July 1st.You finish rehab November 1st and put the property on the market.Your tenant moves in January 15th.The property was placed in service November 1st, and it does not matter that the tenant did not move in until the next year.Everything paid between July 1st and November 1st, including interest and utilities, goes into basis.

In the professional opinions and experiences of the investor community, what place in WA state would you invest in a Long term rental?

There's a ton of blue collar and healthcare jobs that are providing a tenant demand for houses in that rent range, and more to come with Blue Oval City expecting to be operable in late 2027. 

My lease requires professional carpet cleaning, which would cost more than $500 for a home of that size.Yes, it's reasonable to reduce the cost because she was such a long-term tenant.

Readers should seek professional advice.

They want to be full service RE professionals.

Whether it applies or not it's always a good idea to check with a professional first so thanks for the reply.

Game changer for active investor looking to get more passive investments, busy professional looking to diversify in real estate, individual investor looking to get into commercial or larger assets. 

You CAN limit that agreement to a specific property; but, as others have stated, agents are looking for a certain amount of loyalty from their clients.If an agent gets vibes from a prospective client that indicates that they want to cheapskate and not pay a professional for their service, they are not likely to waste their time with them.

If you sell it, you get $250k single / $500k married exemptions from capital gains.Speak with a tax professional about how much you'll save in taxes by doing this.