I agree with @Joe Zinger and @John Johnson, roll your funds into a self directed IRA - which can take the form of a SEP IRA, a Roth IRA or a solo 401(k) - and avoid tax exposure.I also think that @Paul Civitello made a crucial point but didn't emphasis it, and that is this:You can purchase a property with self directed IRA funds, tax free, earn a profit, and put that profit, along with the initial capital, straight back in to your self directed IRA, all TAX FREE!!

Also, the enormous marketing campaign is sketching me out: the style of the landing pages, the hundreds of emails and links to new offers, the constant emphasis on value, and the cheesy/fake positivity... starting to feel very MLM kinda scammy. 

I see the emphasis on connections and being able to provide value.

Remain dedicated to your objectives and keep learning as you go, regardless of whether your emphasis is home hacking for passive income, using the BRRRR approach to generate wealth, or flipping houses for rapid cash.Please feel free to join in conversations and ask questions on BiggerPockets—the community has a plethora of expertise. 

I am not up on the laws in your state, but as far as I know renting out the rooms in your primary home (emphasis on primary) does not negate the Homestead Exemption.

Emphasis in your original post, -No authority given.The other tax professionals who replied, offered varying rationales (some citing; the totality of the circumstances test, or constructive receipt, or economic performance test, transferee liability, economic benefit,etc.) and a few pros offered rationales similar to yours (“if you're renting property you're controlling that's your income to report”).

All the emphasis and effort on renovations and inspections is ultimately an attempt to control the controllables enough to create a desirable home for a future resident.

If you have more available cash and other income, you might start with more emphasis on appreciation/capital preservation vs. the opposite. 

This site is great, but sometimes the emphasis on cash flow, cap rates, cash-on-cash misses the point that there are other goals with real estate than purely squeezing the most money out of it.Good luck!

I would call this loaner a private individual source- with the emphasis on the word individual.