Your mentor has needs; try to meet them and develop a mutually beneficial relationship.A mentor can benefit your growth, but it's not as simple as one post on a forum full of strangers.

I have not consolidated them under one LLC as of yet—my attorney advised me to beware of franchise taxes in my state that may cancel out the benefits of consolidation.  

You can also write it off as a business expense and there could be additional tax benefits for energy efficient home improvements.  

Rarely are there benefits to the seller to structure a transaction in the various ways you propose. 

Would there be other tax benefits for high wage earners and what would those be?  

Ensure the appraiser accounted for things like the square footage, recent improvements, location benefits, or other factors that impact value.

I can see the benefits to either option: having 5 properties cash flowing as much or more than 10+ levered properties is powerful and takes a lot of stress off of you.

The other electric meter I pay for because it feeds 2 units (the first floor and basement).1)Would this be a good investment with worthwhile tax benefits?

.😂  I’m not a skilled handyman,  but could be the worlds best helper if it benefits me. :-)

She’s just a good person, period, and anyone she works with will benefit from her expertise.If you’re considering investing in Cleveland or need help with an out-of-state property, do yourself a favor and contact Melissa.