You can't even drive by and look at a tree before you decide if it needs to be trimmed up or cut down.2.)

Even if a title company were to manage the setup making sure all parties are paid, the cheap debt and cash flow would not be enough to be enticing to any investor even if midterm rental could yield a healthy return. 

However, even though we found it a bit odd that the husband didn’t have all the details right away, we decided to move forward with the application process.

I also like to check reviews on platforms like Yelp, Google, or even Angi (formerly Angie’s List).

It's likely they may even use data of SFH with similar lot and building square footage.

Also, focus on 2 years of job/income stability.Class D Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, all cashflow with little, maybe even negative, relative rent & value appreciationVacancy Est: 20%+ should be used to cover nonpayment, evictions & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores under 560 (almost 30% probability of default), little to no good tradelines, lots of collections & chargeoffs, recent evictions.

Whether it’s advice, joint ventures, or even just sharing your experiences, your input would mean a lot.Feel free to drop a comment below or message me directly.

Your question has been debated between BP tax experts both privately and publicly, for example here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/51/topics/819991-expens...And we ended up where we started: no consensus and no clarity.There have also been court decisions that support my interpretation, even though I personally find these court decisions debatable.

If they don't have time to get on the phone and speak with you to explain how they work, then they will be even more difficult to get ahold of once they already have your business.

The rental deals in my area are not even close to what I was doing before.