It would be best to befriend a local contractor or even help one out on a job to see any differences from your past eight years doing it in another country.

As in most things, It's best to draw from a number of resources to get different points of view. 

In US tax law, the depreciable lifespan of an asset is defined by its MACRS classification which stands for “Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System.”Under MACRS, depreciable assets are assigned to different classes, with each class having a specific recovery period.

Quote from @Makani Donaldson: From what I understand, different islands or cities have different rules, and they are getting stricter.

From there every 20 point increment affect pricing differently.

Of course could be a little different but thats generally how it  all works.

Money is...important, but it's also a way to make a positive difference in people's lives. 

The only difference is the seller remains on title until we have enough equity to refinance or sell.3: Typically we don’t agree to balloons.

The bottom line was that tax strategizing would only have made a significant difference the year my partner and I got married.Finally, I was told, in their company's words that they are the "Rolls Royce [of taxes]" for real estate investors.

Your loan would be on a different property so no financing on the property you are buying.