(after I deduct all the labor/material costs).

The main one being material participation. 

It’s important to have a clear understanding of both hard and soft costs (labor, materials, permits, etc.) to assess your budget accurately.Projected Rental Income: Research the rental market in the area.

For the material participation test, the easiest way to get it is Via the 100 hours and worked more than anyone else.

Building codes change and labor and materials go up.

But the neighbors told me when they built their house from ground 6 years ago, there was no issues for any building materials or trucks going through the alley. 3. the house is in historic district of Charlotte, meaning there are quite some restrictions on the exterior renovation. 

1.Activities That CountTo meet the material participation criteria, you must log your hours in a detailed and ongoing logbook throughout the year.

@Kyle Atans  for me for the younger investors or starter investors is  at least use that 100 or 200 a month positive to paydown debt at an accelerated rate it will save them a ton in the long run and if they can get them paid off in 10 to 15 years that's a good thing.. its not like saving 1200 a year is going to materially affect their ability to buy unit number two and if its that tight not sure owning rentals is that great of investment anyway.

Great marketing material on. 

In this area, the two soils engineers I've used most often are McDowell and Associates, and Soils and Materials Engineers (SME) - but I don't know if they have branch offices in the area near your problem site.Best of luck with it!