The lease would establish income, which can be used for loan qualification purposes.

She then stated that when it becomes active income it is subject to the 15.3% self-employment tax.

I have a capital gain taxes question:if I sell my home for 510k and provide the seller 10k seller credit towards escrow costs, would I be paying capital gains taxes in California for that additional 10k?

How Seasoned Investors Calculate Net Income in ExcelNet Income in real estate investing is typically calculated as:Net Income=Gross Income−Operating Expenses−Debt ServiceNet Income=Gross Income−Operating Expenses−Debt ServiceHere’s a simple way to calculate it in Excel:Create a Spreadsheet with the following columns:Income Sources (Rent, Laundry, Parking, Other)Gross Income (Sum of all income sources)Operating Expenses (Property taxes, Insurance, Maintenance, Utilities, Property management, etc.)Net Operating Income (NOI) = Gross Income - Operating ExpensesDebt Service (Mortgage payments, Interest)Net Income = NOI - Debt ServiceUse Formulas in Excel:Total Gross Income → =SUM(B2:B5)Total Operating Expenses → =SUM(C2:C10)NOI Calculation → =B6-C11Net Income Calculation → =D6-D12Software for New Investors to Use OnlineIf you’re a new investor looking for user-friendly tools, consider:Stessa (Free) – Tracks income, expenses, and generates financial reports automatically.DealCheck – Great for analyzing rental properties, BRRRR, and multifamily deals.BiggerPockets Rental Calculator – A simple tool for quick deal analysis.PropStream – More advanced, with market research and deal analysis features.REI Hub – Accounting-focused software for rental properties.I hope this helps !

As you mentioned intentional flips are typically considered inventory-This means the income is ordinary income and as such: - Is not a capital gain, so hold time of 1 year does not change to a better long-term capital gain rate - Can not be invested in a QOF Deductions related to it can't be pushed or changed- all costs are accounted for with the inventory component 

Do it yourself with TurboTax (or similar software)If your rental is pretty simple (one property, basic income & expenses), you can learn the basics and still save money.

Quote from @David Brooks: I've received advise that our friendly STR loophole can not be used to characterize STR income/loss as non-passive on a California tax return. 

But if you want to maximize your deductions now or plan to sell the property soon, then using it now could be better.Also, if you or your spouse qualify as a Real Estate Professional for tax purposes, the losses could offset other income, like your W-2 salary.

I have been digging into the 2025 Trump tax proposals, and the more I look at them, the more it seems we’re in for a complex market shift—especially for real estate.

Which accounting software and tax software do most of you small investors use?