Welcome to BP - think you are definitely starting in the right place - house hack duplex to start the real estate investing journey should be a solid bet - don't need a huge amount of capital either if you buy smart

I bet this manager is ripping tenants off without owners knowledge. 

Those that save and invest for a cushion like some on here are the solid bets in my book.

Information and exposure has been increased radically in the last 10 years, and hence those killer deals don’t seem to be there anymore.Fortunately for me, I had the good fortune to know and learn from the (imo) absolutely most knowledgeable, innovative, and talented note investor teacher back 40 some odd years ago.  

Odds are there is much more hidden here than is being shared.A seasoned investor could probably mitigate these risks, but they would run EVERYTHING to ground. 

Your best bet is likely a CPA who deals with international clients and incorporation.

We often use VS for apartments that have floor plans that are a bit odd and find they are very helpful.

Odds are you would receive an automatically generated Notice and need to respond and explain you didn’t file past returns and ask for mercy.

And the new rule only applies to legacy STR owners, not new investors.Your best bet is to comply with the law and see if your investment still works.

I really see Columbus Ohio as an extremely safe bet for the next 10-20 years.