Commissioner, 74 T.C. 1134 (1980) (“The taxpayer’s intent at the time of the exchange is controlling and must be determined.”)Courts consider the following factors in assessing if the property was held for sale: (1) the nature and purpose of the acquisition of the property and the duration of the ownership; (2) the extent and nature of the taxpayer’s efforts to sell the property; (3) the number, extent, continuity and substantiality of the sales; (4) the extent of subdividing, developing, and advertising to increase sales; (5) the use of a business office for the sale of the property; (6) the character and degree of supervision or control exercised by the taxpayer over any representative selling the property; and (7) the time and effort the taxpayer habitually devoted to the sales.

These events offer a great chance to network with seasoned investors, exchange ideas, and gain knowledge from one another's experiences.Online Forums and Groups: Get involved in social media and online forums devoted to Houston area real estate investment.

👉You don't have to buy a 400-unit for your first dealBut I would recommend this:Just get started.Figure out how much time you have to devote to real estate investing and determine your goals.You can get started in 3 ways:1.

Or maybe you need to find another market that is providing high enough returns to justify the time, money, energy, etc spent in putting together a deal relative to your personal risk tolerance and the oppertunity cost of devoting your resources to RE vs other investment opportunities. 

Focus on my relationship and time devoted to my family3.

Her salary will afford us the opportunity to ensure our normal expenses are covered and me the time to devote to making sure our investments are properly planned & work out :)The downside will be the student loan debts that we'll have to include in our budget upon her graduation.What would the #1 thing you recommend to me to ensure I develop a strong foundation?

@Brian Garlington I agree that it is simple math but the math doesn't favor the inexperienced investor that doesn't have a whole lot of time to devote to real estate.

In general, if vacancy low and flow is positive, this could be a long-term winner if you don't need the income to support yourself right now - devote it all to paying off the loan quickly, get a free and clear prop sooner, refi or leapfrog into something bigger with a 1031 down the road.

Most of us take managing our properties very seriously you obviously prefer that your imaginary tenants operate your business.Time maybe you moved on to a tenant advocacy forum and leave us to operate our business properly without your input.For a guy whose philosophy is all about not being a charity , you seem to devote alot of time to giving out free advice on here. 

I would bet that the average renter will have to devote 50-65% of their inflated incomes to their housing costs.