I am investing in real estate without the need to put in 20%+ deposit, He pays the monthly mortgage which im not liable for, I benefit from appreciation..

You most likely will not get owner occupied benefits from your bank though on the loan.

Just wondering if the risk and benefit is worth it or not.

Since they’ve already already signed the lease and put the deposit down, is there really any reason or benefit of meeting them in person at this point?

The potential tax implications are often minimal, and with proper planning, you can maximize the benefits of your investment while minimizing any tax burden.

Two questions...1) About to bring a STR online in the next two weeks and am looking for some advice as this will be my first STR. 2) Specifics on the current STR cost seg. tax benefit?

On average, I would say the benefits of AI are overstated right now.

Jumping into your existing agreement is a huge savings for them, with no benefit to you.

The cost of changing a light bulb is quite a bit more when you factor in travel time to get across town, vehicle cost, a qualified person on payroll with benefits, overhead cost for the office to deploy that person.

It's true you'll likely make very little money on those deals but your benefit will be expediting the pace at which you learn this industry.